The Undoing of the Mediator
by Mairen
Summary: COMPLETE! What happens when Suze's ability to see ghosts is ripped from her and she is thrown into a world filled with danger and love? Rating for fluff and a 'lil violence. Prophecies and more, PLEASE R&R!
1. Of Paul Slater

**Disclaimer**:  Meg Cabot owns all characters and anything you recognize! Don't sue!

**A/N**:  All writers love reviews! **hint**hint**  This is my first fanfic, so I'm really sorry if it sucks!  _PLEASE_ review!  Even if you think it's the worst thing ever, please say so!  Ask questions, too, if you get lost or confused……….I totally appreciate your comments!!  It will get really action-y later on, so that and some other romance elements render it PG-13. 

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 1: Of Paul Slater**

Paul knocked on the door to my room.  I opened it and let him in.  After all, a promise is a promise, even if it meant I probably just sold my soul to the spawn of Satan.  Paul still didn't know what his grandfather, Dr. Slaski had told me about the Shadowland.  To stay away from it.  But I didn't even want to know what Paul would do to Jesse if I broke my promise.  Whether I liked it or not, I knew I had to comply with Paul's every wish.  I took a deep breath and opened the door. 

Jesse materialized at the same moment. "Suzannah….," his voice drifted off as soon as he saw who was at my door. I visably saw Paul tense, his fists white from clenching them.

"Hey, both of you, calm it, will you?  Paul, remember what you said.  No fights, no exorcising, no nada."  I shot a look at Jesse.

Ever since Paul had been coming to my house to "teach" me all there was to know about the shifting business, Jesse had been coming more and more agitated.  He paced my room nightly rambling on and on to himself in Spanish and glancing protectively over at me.  He thought I was sleeping and that I didn't notice, but I did.

Paul cast a wary glance at Jesse, making sure Jesse wasn't about to jump him and strode into the room, a box under his arm.  It was this box that held all the secrets I ever wanted to know…most importantly, one involving soul transference.  But Paul wouldn't teach me everything he knew right away, he said that it needed to be done "slowly".  I didn't really mind, it just meant that I could stay away form the Shadowland and not die, as Dr. Slaski said I would after a time.  

Jesse dematerialized, probably from the need to jump Paul right then and there and beat him into a bloody pulp, as he's done once before.  I laughed at this and Paul looked at me, confused.  "What's so funny?" he asked

"Nothing.  So what are we doing today?" I said as I sat down on the floor, not wanting to brave the bed.  That happened once before and I was too scared to let myself kiss someone other than Jesse again.

"Today is actually a way to get inside other people's minds.  Like, for example, ghosts.  Sometimes a ghost has problems, like being mute, or not knowing why they are here.  Then you turn to this."  He glanced at me to see my reaction.  I very carefully kept my f ace indifferent and replied, "Never met a mute ghost".

Paul kept going, watching my face carefully.  I knew why he was doing this, it only had to be because of Jesse.  He very obviously wanted me to enter Jesse's mind and send him into the Great Beyond, for good.  I knew his tricks, and I kept my usual air of indifference about me.

"You simply have to believe you are the person, every fiber of them is you and mold your mind" he continued, "they will know, of course, when you do this which why you should ask them first to avoid confrontation".

Ha, Paul, talking about avoiding confrontation?  He really was trying to get me to like him!

The little visit went on, Paul trying way too hard to be polite and me trying to be indifferent to the profound statements he was making, which, by the way, caught me attention very quickly.

He left a little later, after we talked about mind-molding a little longer and then trig, which I was failing and Paul had offered to help me with.

I know what you're thinking.  Paul, helping me with trig and mediator stuff?  Am I crazy?  I don't know, maybe I am, but I do that I want Jesse to stay here and not get exorcised or something.  Paul can do things like that when he's mad, I've seen it, and mad for Paul is like psychotic-crazy for any other person.  To tell you the truth, I'm scared to death of him and that isn't going to change anytime soon.

Jesse materialized right after he left.  His eyes flashed at the door, around the room, and then at me.  "Suzannah, I don't like this.

"Jesse, he's perfectly safe, for now" I think I was trying to convince myself of that too. "We made a deal.  He's too scared to lose me, I think"

"I still don't like this" Jesse breathed.  He sat on my bed with his elbows on his knees and ran his tendony hands through his gorgeous hair.  

I had only seen him this agitated once before, and right after that he confessed his undying love to me.  I looked at Jesse slowly from my seat on the floor, "He showed me how to read minds today, Jesse.  I think I'm getting somewhere in these lessons, however much I hate them".

"Read minds, huh?" he said, glancing at me.  "You want to try it out on me or something?"

"That's the thing. I think he wants me to so I can find out why you're still here and when I do, it will send you away, Jesse".  He looked sadder than I have ever seen him.  I got up and sat down next to him. 

Jesse, always the perfect gentleman, stopped looking depressed at once and stood up.  "He knows something, Suzannah. I could tell by how he looked at me today.  He's going to try something, but I don't know what.  You need to go to Father Dominic, right now."

"Jesse, I can handle this on my own, alright?  I don't always need to go running to Father Dom!"  Why can't Jesse trust me?

"Suzannah, this boy isn't that simple.  He's tricky and will get you in some underhanded way!  I've never seen someone like him before."  He started pacing the room like he does sometimes at night and swore a few times in Spanish.  Let me tell you, Jesse looks extremely good mad.  He always looks good.

I walked right in front of him and put a hand up "stop!  I know you're angry at me, Jesse, but you need to realize that if you do something, Paul will get you, big time.  And I'm not so sure that I can live with what he does to you…again"

I grabbed a pair of boxers and a sweatshirt and ran into my bathroom to change.  I was completely embarrassed about what I just said.  That I can't live without him?  Yeah, not so hot to admit to a _ghost_.  I mean, he's dead.  I washed my face and went back into my room.  Jesse was sitting at the bay window, staring out to the sea.  Not wanting to interrupt him from his moment, I quietly slipped into bed.  

Once Jesse thought I was asleep, he strode over to my bed and kissed the top of my head, whispering "good night, _querida" into my hair.  Just as he was dematerializing, I whispered "I love you Jesse" into my pillow.  He shimmered, and was gone._

That would be the last time I saw him.

**A/N**:  Please Review! Many more chapters to come, but I want to see what you guys think, first!


	2. The Disappearance

**Disclaimer**:  Meg Cabot owns all characters and anything you recognize! Don't sue!

**A/N**:  Still no reviews!  I decided to put up another chapter even though there aren't any to make it more interesting!  The faster you review, the faster I will update! Love ya all!

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 3: The Disappearance**

My first clue should have been that the windows were open.  The marine fog had rolled in and a light dew covered everything in my room.  It was really disgusting.  Jesse had always been there to close my windows for me, even after he moved to the rectory.  He would come in at who-knows-when during the night and close them from when I had flung them open the night before.

I climbed out of my bed, completely freezing through my light sweatshirt and boxers.  I got took a really warm shower and chose my outfit for the day: an ever-so-spiffy ensemble of a blue v-neck t-shirt from Benetton and black pants by DKNY that I got for half price last week.  I topped it all off with new black Steve Madden platform boots for only a fraction of the two-hundred they costed.  Oh yeah, I'm good.

Sleepy, my step-brother who has a tendency to sleepwalk through life (hence the nickname, his real name is Jake) yelled up the stairs, "Suze, we're leaving in 5 minutes if you want to get to school"

I threw my leather jacket on over my outfit, left my windows open so my room would air out during the day and ran down the stairs.

Dopey was at the table, pigging out on donuts.  He would crush them in his mouth whole seemingly without chewing and swallow them like a snake.  It was one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen.  I definitely cannot see what Debbie Mancuso sees in that boy.

Anyway, I gulped down some OJ and a bagel (nowhere near as good as NY-style) and ran out the door with my stepbrothers.

When I got to school, Paul was waiting for me, as happy as ever.  That should have been my second clue.  He started to walk me to roll-call

"Why are you so happy" I asked grumpily

"Because I'm with you" he replied.

I snorted with laughter "sure, you're with me almost everyday, Slater. What's going on"

"You'll see" he said

God! What's up with Paul being so cryptic all the time? I could seriously smack that guy all the way back across the country if I had the chance.  

He walked me to class.  Creepy, huh?

Later that day I went to go see Father Dom about the mind reading stuff Paul had said.  He looked at me as if I were crazy.

"Mind reading? Are you sure?" he asked, worried.

"Yeah Father D, that's what we did" I said, leaning back in the chair in his office.  I had been giving Father Dominic all my reassurances that Paul wasn't teaching me demonic practices or anything.  It looked like this qualified.

"Susannah, this is not good.  Promise me you will never try it." He looked at me, wary "Promise!"

"Alright Father D! I wasn't planning on it anyway" I said, embarrassed.  I knew what he was thinking.  I would read Jesse's mind to see what he though about me.  That's just what Father D would think of, ever since he found out about our little escapades after I saved him from Purgatory.

"I still don't understand why you're doing this, Susannah.  Why you want him to teach you" He said, looking very serious.

"There's just something I need to know about, and he's the only one who can answer it."  There was no way I was going to tell Father D that the 'something' was the transfer of souls from one body to anther.  He wouldn't go for that.  

The next period started, and I had to get to class.

**Three Days Later**

I still haven't seen Jesse around.  Maybe what I about not being able to live without him freaked him out.  He knew that I loved him, and I though he loved me, but I've called him twice now and he hasn't come.  Something's wrong. 

I went to go see Father Dom about it.  

"Susannah," he said as I walked in "Is there something you want to talk to me about".  He looked at my from his papers questioningly.

"Yeah, actually.  Something's wrong with Jesse.  Have you seen him?  He's been avoiding me for three days and I just want to make sure he's alright." I was a little embarrassed talking about Jesse with Father D, but I had no other choice.

He looked at me like I was crazy.  "You haven't seen him in three days?"  He looked hard to his left-toward the sofa.  "Are you sure?"

"Um, yeah. I think I would know if I saw him, wouldn't I?"

"Have you called him?"

"I tried, twice, but he didn't come both times"

Father D looked hard again at the sofa.  He said, "Susannah, look at the sofa."

I turned my head at the empty couch.

"Do you see anything?" he asked.

"Um, no.  Should I?  What's going on Father D?  I really want to know"  I was getting really nervous now.

Father Dom was getting really pale now.  "Susannah, Jesse is sitting right there".

I stared, and then ran out of the office. 


	3. The Truth

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything you recognize.  It (the characters…etc) all belongs to the great Meg Cabot, so don't sue…please.

**A/N**:  Thanks for all the great reviews I got! Four in one day!  Hooray!  

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 3: The Truth**

I ran straight for his lunch table.  He was sitting alone and I walked straight up to him, tears running down my face.  "What did you do?" I screamed.  "What did you do to me?"

"Suze," Paul stammered "I don't know what you're talking about.  What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Don't play games with me, _Slater.  I know it was you!  What did you do to me?"  I felt like dying._

"Suze, I only want to be with you" he whispered, so no one else could hear him except me. The whole school was staring at us now.  I swung around and punched him in the face. Hard.  I felt cartilage break under my fist and swung again, hitting him in the stomach.  He doubled over.  I was just about to hit again when hands were pulling me back.  I wanted to kill him, break his neck. 

"Suze," a distant voice was saying "Suze, stop it.  This isn't worth it"

"Father D, get out of this!  This is my fight!"  I yelled, but he was steering me back into his office.  My tears were coming freely now.  Once we were back in his office, I spun around and hugged Father D, crying even harder.  

I hate crying, I feel like such a baby.  Father D patted my back awkwardly and said, "It's alright, Susannah. Ssshhh. Jesse? Could you help me here?".  Then he realized what he'd said and I started sobbing even harder.

"Jesse's here? Jesse, I'm sorry, I really am."  

~*Jesse*~

I watched, helpless, as Susannah cried onto Father Dominic's shoulder.  I reached out to touch her shoulder only to find my hand pass right through her.  I swore in Spanish.  

It was all my fault, for letting her get attached.  I saw this coming, someday.  I couldn't help it, though.  I loved her from the moment I saw her and when I found out she loved me, I…couldn't help it.  I cursed myself for being dead, and I cursed the world for letting this happen to her.  

The night it happened was the worst of my life.  Paul had left, and Susannah had just said she couldn't live without me.  It was this confession that left me thinking about her future.  It was when I was thinking that Paul Slater called me.  

I thought it was for another one of his "discussions" about the so-called well being of Susannah, but when I materialized in his room, I was grabbed immediately by his ghost cronies.  When you are grabbed by a ghost, you cannot just dematerialize.  His cronies flung me onto his bed, holding me down with grips like iron.

"_Nombre__ de dios, Paul.  What did I do?  Let me go, now!"  Paul just looked at me and laughed, his now dark eyes filled with hate.  He never showed these eyes to Susannah.  That much I knew.  _

"Tonight is the night, _Jesse_" he sneered "and there is nothing you can do to stop it"

"The night for what, Paul? I swear, I will kill you if you hurt Susannah!" I screamed.  I had a really, really bad feeling about this.  I really would kill him if he hurt my querida.  

Paul laughed, "no you won't, because if you come after me, I will kill her."  He looked at me and suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my head.  I could _feel_ Paul's voice in my mind saying, "shouldn't have read so much, Jesse.  Now I know how to take it away".  He nodded to his cronies and they let me go, but I still couldn't move.

I knew two things at this point.  One, Paul was reading my mind and had total control over my body.  Two, he was going to take away Susannah's ability.  I knew that because I read about how to do it in a dusty old tome I found in a library seventy years ago.  I read how it could be done, but thought it was a joke—completely impossible.  Apparently not.  I wanted to rip his heart out.

"But I don't have a heart, do I, Jesse?"  He asked, reading my mind.  Then he laughed and disappeared from his room.

That's how the situation ended up how it had, with Susannah, my soulmate, crying on Father Dominic's shoulder and me being unable to touch her.  I couldn't go after Paul because he would kill her, I didn't doubt that.  I just stood there, watching her cry and feeling depressed, angry and helpless.

That night I followed her home.  I promised Father Dominic I would watch over her to make sure Paul didn't try anything else.  She cried the entire way.  All I wanted to do was to wrap my arms around her beautiful body and tell her that everything would be alright, but that was impossible.  I wanted to kiss her tears away, but I couldn't, and I was standing right next to her.  

She stomped into her house, and ran up to her room, avoiding her mother's questions.  She locked the door threw herself on her bed, sobbing into her pillow.  I felt so helpless, I wanted to do _something_, so I pulled the blankets out from under her and pulled them over her body.  

She looked wildly around her, "Jesse?  Are you here?"

I smoothed out the blanket around her in reply.  She whispered, "Jesse, even if I never see you again, just know this.  I love you, always and forever.  I will never forget you."

Now I was really mad, seeing her give up like this. I ran my fingers through my hair. Suddenly, I thought of a brilliant idea.  I strode over to her desk and wrote down on a piece of paper "Don't give up querida.  I have faith that things will work out.  Just know this—I love you too, always and forever".  When I finished, I walked back to the bed to give it to her, only to find her tear streaked eyes closed.  I slipped the note into one of her hands, and lay down beside her.  I held her with arms I knew she couldn't feel, and suddenly I found myself crying.  It is something I have practically never done in my life, or death, or whatever, but I found myself doing now.  I would rather be die again a million different cruel ways before I saw Susannah, my querida, unhappy.  I cursed Paul Slater, I cursed my death, and I cursed my helplessness.  

I remembered that kiss we shared at the cemetery, the greatest thing that ever happened to me.  Susannah was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.  She was the reason I wasn't moving on, true love. A psychic told me once that I would only love one person, and I would love her for all eternity, so I didn't move on.  I was waiting, and I had found her, but she couldn't see me now.  


	4. Of Old Men and Libraries

**Disclaimer**: Once again, anything you recognize isn't mine! Meg Cabot owns all characters and places………etc. Please don't sue!  
  
**A/N**: Wow! Thanks everyone! I totally appreciate the reviews I'm getting.keep it up! Thanks to:  
  
****

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 4: Of Old Men and Libraries**

~*Suze*~  
  
When I woke up the next morning, on Saturday, I found a folded note in my hand. Curious, I opened it. It was from Jesse! It said………Jesse still loves me! But he was totally right. I was giving up, and something like that completely wasn't like me.  
  
I quickly took a shower and pulled on an awesome J-Crew sundress and my new slides. I knew Jesse was following me around, and I wanted to make absolutely sure I was looking my best.  
  
I walked downstairs to find everyone enjoying a large breakfast of blueberry pancakes along with other gourmet breakfast foods. Never being quite the breakfast person that my step-brothers were, I ate the smallest pancake and braved the OJ. Hopefully it wasn't all backwashed yet. Living with three teenage boys is no joke, I tell you. It's rather disgusting, actually. Dopey was inhaling pancake after pancake, sometimes two at once. Just as I was wondering how long it would take Sleepy to keel over into his plate of syrupy pancakes my mother asks, "What are you doing today, Suzie?"  
  
No one but my mom is allowed to call me Suzie. Seriously.  
  
I turned to face her. "Just heading to the library to do some research for school" I replied. What I really wanted to do was to find information on stripping Mediators of their powers, and finding that would be no walk in the park.  
  
"Gotta go, later!" I said, forcing a huge smile on them. I've noticed that if you act all happy parents won't suspect you of doing anything strange. I'm very prone to doing strange things, according to my mother.  
  
"Don't you want anything else to eat, Suze? I mean, we have all this food" said Andy, looking a little hurt and gesturing to the mounds of food on the table.  
  
"My smile turned a little more sympathetic, "No, I'm alright, but thanks anyway Andy!" And I walked out the door. Free.  
  
The public library was about a half a mile away from my house, so I had no problem with walking. I was a little nervous about my new slides, and memories of the last time I wore new shoes popped into my head, but I ignored them.

When I finally got to the library, I realized how lost I was.  Book after book obscured my vision.  I couldn't even find a page on Mediators on the web, so how was I supposed to find a book on one?  

"Jesse," I whispered out of the corner of my mouth so people wouldn't think I was talking to myself.  "Jesse, are you here?"

A single book slid out of the bookshelf in front of me and landed at my feet.  I took that as a yes.  

"Jesse, see if you can find any books on Mediators," I said, still muttering to the bookshelf in front of me.  

I was pretty sure he had left, so I walked over to the books on the supernatural and started skimming. How to contact the dead…….I didn't really have a problem with that……..Pet Psychics……..the I-Ching……..nothing.  There were no books in front of me that contained what I needed.

"Looking for something that isn't there, sweetie?" said a raspy voice

I whipped around and came face to face with a very, very old man.  His clothes were ragged and torn, and man, he smelled.  Creepy, huh?  "Actually, I was just leaving," I replied.  Old guys do NOT call me sweetie and get away with it.  

"I know what you are.  I, too, see things that aren't there.  I know where you can find it,"  he said, peering even closer at me.

"Find what, exactly?" I whipped back around.  Now I was interested!

"The only book ever written on who we are.  What we can do," he answered.  "I saw you talking to him before……….talking to one of them."  

Now how could he know that unless he was another Mediator?  "Where can I find it?" I asked reluctantly.  He wrote an address on one of the little slips of paper the library always has so you can write down the call numbers or whatever.  I looked at it.  "1056 Manchester Way.  Ask for George."  I knew that street, it was mainly shops and restaurants.  My problem lay in the fact that it was about twenty miles away, and I still hadn't gotten my driver's license yet.  I thought about who I could call.  Not my step-brothers, they would ask too many questions.  Same with my parents.  Adam, I thought.  Adam would take me.  

I walked over to the payphone and dialed his number.  

**A/N**:  I know this one was kinda short, but we were getting finals back and I was kinda freaking out about that!  The next ones will be a 'lil longer (hopefully).  Thanks for reading, guys!!  Many, many more chapters to come (this is just the beginning!) It might be a few days before a new chapter, b/c of a new semester starting, but I'll do my best to get it up as soon as possible!!  PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! Love ya all!

~Summer


	5. Planning the Reversal

**Disclaimer**: All characters and anything you recognize belongs to the all-knowing and talented Meg Cabot so don't sue!!!

**A/N**:  Thanks for all the reviews I got!  I seriously didn't think that anyone would want to review this, but thanks sooooo much!  Words cannot explain my happiness! =o)  Here's chapter 5, hope this one's a little more interesting than the last (and longer)~!~

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 5: The Book**

That's how, twenty minutes later, I was riding in a car with Adam and CeeCee answering questions about why he was driving me twenty miles to go to a bookstore.

"Adam," I said "There's just this book that they have there that's, um, out of print and that's the only place they sell it."  

"But why ask me?  I mean, why couldn't Jake or your mom drive you?" he asked. 

"Because they wouldn't take me twenty miles for a book, Adam," I replied.

"Well, anything to be with you!" He said overly-cheerfully.  

I looked over at CeeCee and rolled my eyes.  "Men."  CeeCee laughed, a little too reluctantly. I knew she was enjoying this way too much.  She would do anything if it involved being around Adam.  I thought her passion for him had ebbed after the thing at Martha's Vinyard, but apparently not.  Her passion was just as unbridled as it was before.

We got there about an hour later.  Manchester Way was a dreary old street with shops to match.  No one actually ever went shopping there, as far as I knew.

"What did you say the number was?" asked Adam, peering out the window.

"1056," I said. "It's a used bookstore."

"There!" exclaimed CeeCee, pointing out her window.  The shop she was pointing at was certainly on its last legs.  The weathered awning over the door was broken and hanging by one side, and the windows were all dirty.

"You sure it's a good idea to go in there?"  Adam asked skeptically.  "I mean, the place is like a health hazard or something."

"Yeah, let's go," I replied, opening my door after Adam had parked.  I opened the door and stepped inside.  I musty smell came wafting to my nose and I practically choked.  The carpet was covered in holes and books were stacked everywhere.  There was not one single bookshelf in the whole place.

"Can I halp you?" cam a voice from the shadows. 

"Yeah, I was told to ask for George?" I said, keeping it as simple as possible.

"Ah, yes.  So you're one of them?"  He asked.  Adam looked at me strangely. I help a hand up, clearly saying "not now"

"Yeah," I said. "Do you have the book?"  

"Why yes, we do.  But you must promise me something.  When you are done, you must give it back to this store.  This is the holding area, and this book is free.  If you find another questioning person, you must tell them to come here.  This is the only one in the world," he said seriously.  His eyes flicked to the right of me, where I could only guess Jesse was standing.

"Yeah, I promise," I replied, just as seriously.  I wanted to get out of here as fast as I could with the book.  This guy was seriously freaking me out.

"Good. Sign this," He said, gesturing to a yellowed piece of paper.  There were about ten names on it above the place I signed mine.  He handed me a huge brown tome, covered in dust.  It had to be at least a thousand pages long. I said a rushed "thanks!" and got the hec out of there.

"What the heck was that all about?" asked Adam, irritated that he was left out of the loop.  CeeCee looked delicately unknowing.  Adam looked at her. "You know, too?"  

She looked straight at him.  "It's not a big deal, Adam.  I sort of……..found out accidentally, and I don't know the whole truth. I have guessed.  Don't ask her, you won't believe a word she says," she said forcefully.  I silently thanked CeeCee for explaining, because I really didn't want to get into this with Adam right now.

I opened the book and started thumbing through it.  The title page simply said "The Book".  Very fitting.  The entire thing was handwritten.  I looked in the back to see if there was an index, but there wasn't.  Great, I would have to search through the entire thing.  

I got home pretty late because it was such a long drive, and my mom was really mad.  After explaining that I had gone to a used bookstore with CeeCee and Adam (I conveniently forgot to tell her that the book was for me) that was a long ways away.  I was completely exhausted, so I dragged myself up to my room and fell asleep in my bed, clothes and all.

The next morning I woke up to find the covers pulled over me and the windows shut.  Jesse was there and I knew it.  I got out of bed and looked for the book.  I hadn't really gotten a chance to read much of it yet, and the parts I had read were only explaining how Mediators could see, talk and touch ghosts.  Interesting, huh?  I found it on my dresser, with about ten sticky notes sticking out of it in various places.  A note lay beside it that said, "Querida—Did you have a good sleep?  I thought maybe you would want some help with the book, so I marked some pretty important passages.  With all my love, Jesse."

I read this with both pain and excitement.  I wanted to be with Jesse so much, to trace my fingers over the scar on his eyebrow, to catch a glimpse of his chest……..it was way too much for me to handle knowing that he could be standing right beside me and I wouldn't know it.  

I took the musty old book over to my bed and opened to the first sticky note.  I noticed all of them were in the second half of the book, labeled "Shifters".  The first was "Mediators" and that is pretty much what I had read the day before.  Nothing new there.  The sticky note led to a passage about traveling freely between the two dimensions, the Shadowland and Earth.  It described it in detail with pictures to match.  I guess these were for the benefit of those lucky people who never had had to brave it up there, and thus didn't know what it looked like.  The next few were somewhat new to me, but not completely.  I didn't really pay attention to anything that wasn't entitled "Regaining Mediator Powers".  

At about the ninth sticky note I found it.  I skimmed the page looking at what it involved.  It was way complicated.  First of all, it had to be performed during a full moon, which was in 2 days.  Shoot, I'd have to wait awhile.  It basically consisted of knowing exactly where a ghost was, entering their mind, and imagining what they would look like, down to every last hair.  It would take about two hours to complete, and if I broke my concentration once, I'd have to start over.  Great, concentration doesn't come so easily to me.  

I knew exactly who to talk to this about.  I pulled on a black mini and a red scoop-neck T-shirt and ran out the door with the book, carefully avoiding Andy and his breakfast marathon.  I grabbed Dopey's bike since I didn't have one and I glided all the way down the hill to the Mission Academy.  

"Father Dom?" I yelled as I approached his office.  "Are you here?"

"Susannah!" Father D exclaimed when he saw me.  "What are you doing here on a Sunday?  Are you here for mass?"

"Um, no, sorry Father D,"  I felt kinda bad about that.  I got over it quickly.  "Look at this!" I exclaimed, thrusting the book at him, open to the sticky note page.

He took the book and looked down at it.  "Susannah," he breathed.  "Where in heaven's name did you get this book?"

"Some old guy told me where to find it at some creepy old bookstore," I replied.  "But look!  Look at what it says!  I can be a Mediator again!"

Now those words I never thought I would say.  Let's just say that life as a Mediator is no picnic.  I've always complained about how much I hate it, but I guess it's one of those things you only really appreciate once it's gone.  That and Jesse.

"Hm, this is somewhat complicated," he said.  "Who are you going to use?"

"Jesse, of course! Who else?" 

"What about your father?  You must know him pretty well," Father D suggested.  A vase in the corner started shaking.  I guess Jesse really wants me to use him.

"My father?  Thanks but no thanks Father D.  I'll use Jesse, if that's alright with him," I said.  I mean, come on!  I know my father, but I've never actually studied him like I have Jesse.  I can imagine every single feature on Jesse perfectly without hesitation.  No problem.

"Well, Jesse agrees with you, so I guess I'm outnumbered," sighed Father Dom.  I know exactly why he doesn't want me to use Jesse.  He doesn't want me going over every single feature that makes up Jesse.  Him being a priest, I guess I can understand……..kinda.  

"I want to be there, though," Father D said, dead serious.

"Yeah, alright," I replied.  I guess he didn't want me jumping Jesse the moment I saw him.  Understandable, but annoying.

"How about you come here at nine o'clock in two days.  Sound good?"  

"Yeah Father D, I'll see you then," I replied, bouncing out the door.

**A/**N:  Ahhh………that was my longest chapter ever!  I hope the next ones will be even longer, but you never know.  There was an alternate ending to this chapter that was like the biggest cliffhanger ever, but I decided to save that for a sequel…otherwise this story will be going too many places at once.  Luv ya all.  If you guys have any questions about the story, feel free to ask, I will try to get chapter 6 up as soon as possible, but I'm totally loaded down with homework and swim practice, so it might be a few days


	6. Horrid Dreams

_**glances at mailbox and sighs…….the reviewage has definitely slowed down lately, so PLEASE, if you're reading this, REVIEW!!**_

**Disclamer**: If I was the wonderfully talented Meg Cabot, I would not be writing this!  She own it all (except for the storyline which is MINE!!! Mehehehe)

**A/N**:  I know it's been longer than usual for an update (at least for those that have actually read this), sorry!  I'll try harder next time (arrgh.  Spanish teachers aggravate me.  Actually, only my current one does)  Right, I'm also looking at the number of fanfics that we have here in the Mediator section, and I am surprised!!  I mean, look at some of the books that are beating us!!  We can't have this!  Simply can't!  Come on people, let's up our numbers =o) (cause we all know how awesome the Mediator fanfics are!!!)

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 6: Horrid Dreams**

~*Jesse*~

I followed her out of the old bookstore.  I remember that one well, because it had been there when I was alive. The place had had more life to it then, which it had obviously lost.  I had stopped there to pick up a book on Aristotle for my journey, the one in which I was going on to tell Maria that I would never marry her and that I hoped she lived a very happy life with Diego, the slave-driver.

I have never thanked Diego, for it was him and his presence that forced me to avoid marrying Maria.  Then again, he did kill me.  But that brought me to Susannah, and for that I can never thank him enough.  Life would be so much better if I were alive when she is, or vice versa.  

I thought about what Susannah would be like if she lived during the 1850s.  Probably still stubborn, forceful and completely beautiful.  But I forced those thoughts out of my head.  It will never happen, I told myself.  She is alive, and you're dead.  That's all you are, Jesse………dead.

I sighed.

But the book!  The thought entered my mind……….what if there was some way to……….the book would have the answers! I heard myself thinking these things and shook my head in pain.  What if Susannah didn't want me to be alive?  How would I ever know?  Simple, I thought.  I would wait for her to say something.  

**Reviewers**:

**Jenn**-I try my hardest!! Thanks a bunch!

**Genies9**:  Actually, that tree is a good idea.......lol.  I do accept anonymous reviews!! Hooray!  I would really like to kill Paul also ((wrings hands in restraint)).  Thatnks for the great feedback!

**Xoxolx3**:  Yes, I was in dire need of a fanfic that took place after Haunted, also!  Haunted kicks!

**Airna**:  Yes, but if I fixed it right away, I wouldn't be able to torment you as much ((laughs evilly))

**Faith**:  Thanks, dude!

**Darkcherry**:  I agree about Jesse crying.  Sometimes people make him cry when he's like hurt or something, but that just can't be done!  But I made him cry because of the GREAT mental anguish he's going through with his ONE AND ONLY love being torn from him, yet sitting next to him!  (muhahaha)

**Judith**: triple THANKS!  I totally appreciate you reviewing all my chapters~!  My first triple reviewer!

And finally,

**FearlessGMoore:  My first ever reviewer!  Thanks a bunch, girl!**


	7. Saturday Night Fever

**A/N**: I'm _SO VERY SORRY_ to all those I kept waiting (and confused) (aka the Ultimate Nagger genies9 =o)), I was away at a swim meet over the weekend and had this horrible, horrible spanish project to finish.  The only good part about Spanish?  I know what Jesse's saying…..muahahaha.  I hope I'll get the update up faster next time!

**Disclaimer**:  The wondrous, genius, amazingly talented Meg Cabot owns all you recognize!  Characters and everything!

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 7: Saturday Night Fever**

I clutched the book to my chest and ran to catch up with the bike, which (along with Jesse) was slowly moving up the hill ahead of me.  Luckily there wasn't anyone on the street to see an invisible force wheeling Dopey's bike up the road.

When I got back, my mother was waiting for me.  

"Susannah Simon!  Where have you been?" she yelled.  I mean, I did leave at nine o'clock in the morning on Sunday for two hours without telling her I was gone.  "Have you been out all night?"  

"Mom!  No!  I just left to go…….um……talk to Father D about my new VP nomination," I lied.  No use digging myself into a hole.

"Well, next time tell me when you leave, alright?  I had no idea where you were!" she said, pushing her hair back.  I feel really bad for my mom.  I mean, it's not her fault my life is completely screwed up right now.  "So," she continued, "you got the nomination?  No more of that Slater boy to take your place?"

I involuntarily flinched at the name. "Kelly Prescott dumped him as her running mate.  She's going to win, and since she picked me as her new one, I will, too" I said simply, but all I wanted to do was go into my room.

"That's great honey," she replied.  

"Right, mom.  Thanks," I replied.  I ran upstairs toward my bedroom and threw myself down on my bed thinking over and over 'Jesse.  I'm going to see Jesse again.'

~*Jesse*~

I followed Susannah up to her room and watched her lying on her bed.  Her lips were moving faintly, and I walked up to her to see if I could figure out what she was saying.  Very softly I could make out "Jesse.  I'm going to see Jesse again."  I sighed at those words.  It had been the longest few days of my life after she lost her gift, even longer than those 150 years I spent in isolation from everything and everyone.  I gently sat down next to her and watched her staring at her ceiling. _Nombre de dios, she was beautiful. Maria had been pretty, and the other girls I had seen were cute, but Susannah was amazingly gorgeous.  _

Her feet were dangling off her bed, and I remembered when she had some home in that condition.  I looked at her blistering and bleeding feet and wanted to smack the person who did that.  Namely, I found out later, Paul Slater.  He had _kissed her.  I had often wondered what he meant when he asked if she "sighed" when I kissed her, but I couldn't remember such a thing.  When I kissed her, there was no sighing; there was only love and passion.  I chuckled to myself.  That passion was what made me move out………I was afraid that if I stayed there any longer, I would lose the minimal control I had been able to keep while living with her.  I lost it majorly once, and if it weren't for David breaking us up in the middle of it, I had no doubt that it would have gone too far.  I had tried to remove myself romantically from her life, but I soon found that impossible.  I knew now without a shadow of a doubt that I would love her forever.  _

~*Suze*~

CeeCee came barging into the room a few minutes later.

"Alright," she said as she plopped down next to me, "Spill."

"Spill?" I asked dumbly.

"I'm getting sick of this Simon, I want to know all about Jesse, and I want to know what that book contains, and I'm not leaving till you tell me," she said simply.  CeeCee can be that way sometimes, a little commanding.

"Well," I said, a little reluctantly, "it all started when I was two…."  I went on to tell her about skipping school, Madame Zara's predictions, and then my trip here.  I told her about Father Dominic and Michael Meducci and the RLS Angels and even Heather.  She drank in every word.

"But what about Jesse?  Why haven't you mentioned Jesse?" she asked impatiently.  To tell you the truth, I didn't mention him because of my fear that he was in the room.  But Jesse always left at times like this, so I took a deep breath and continued.

"You were right, CeeCee, Jesse's a ghost.  Remember that guy you wrote about in the Carmel Pinecone?  The dead one? Hector?  Yeah, well his nickname's Jesse and he's lived in my bedroom ever since I've moved here," I said.  CeeCee took in a deep breath.  

"You mean the guy who was murdered by his girlfriend Maria?" she asked quietly.

"The one and only," I replied, "Paul Slater's the same way as me, and once he left me to die………somewhere.  The place where ghosts go after they die.  That's why I hate him.  And I know that probably sounds completely ridiculous to you and you could never believe it, but you're the first and only person I've told everything to, not even Father D knows everything so I would really appreciate if you didn't think I was a lunatic," I rambled. 

"Chill it, Simon, this is so cool!  What's it like after you die?  Is there a hell?  What does Jesse look like?" she asked, and I'm pretty sure she guessed my answer after she saw the look in my eyes.  

"He's gorgeous," I said, and I was never one to really gush over guys.  But it was nice to have someone to talk to about things like this.  "He has this really nice hair that curls crisply at his neck, and these deep brown eyes.  Oh, and killer washboard abs………even better than Michael Meducci's," I said with a grin.  CeeCee's mouth fell open and she shrieked.

"I wish I could see him," she said with a sigh, "just catching a glimpse of that would make my day."

~*Jesse*~

I quietly left as soon as Susannah's friend brought up the subject of me.  I was incredibly curious as to what my querida had to say, but that would be invading her privacy.  Just because she couldn't see me doesn't mean that I can go around listening o her private conversations now.  It just doesn't feel right.  I am really glad that she told someone about her life, though.  She won't be so disconnected from her friends now like she was before.  I slipped out onto the roof and sat looking towards the sky.  The clouds moved past slowly, and I heard a shriek and rushed back into the room to find a blushing Susannah looking at her friend CeeCee while CeeCee said, "I wish I could see him.  Just catching a glimpse of him would make my day."  I felt dirty at once.  I thought that Paul Slater had come to kill Susannah or something but instead walked right into the middle of a conversation about me.  I sat on the windowsill and watched as CeeCee left.

~*Suze*~

I felt like a new person.  It had taken several hours to explain everything to CeeCee, and by the time she left it was dark out.  I found myself falling asleep in the chair I was sitting in and dozed off.

~*Jesse*~

I watched as Susannah drifted off to sleep.  She looked to peaceful and vulnerable, which surprised me.  Susannah was one of the least vulnerable people I knew.  Her eyelashes fluttered closed one last time and I watched her like that for awhile, her chest gently rising and falling and her hair blowing gently in the ocean breeze.  

'I could do this for eternity,' I realized, 'just sit here and watch her, study her face and look at her forever.  If only she felt like that about me.'  I sighed.

'But we have no future together, I reminded myself. Look at yourself!  You're dead and that isn't going to change anytime soon, so forget about it.'  I saw her shiver a little and so I went to shut the windows.  I gathered up a blanket in my hands and lifted her easily into it.  I couldn't touch her directly, because my hands would pass right through her, but I could touch her with other things like blankets.  I held her in my arms for a moment and cherished being with her.  Then I set her on her bed and pulled the covers over her sleeping body.  

"Goodnight, querida," I said quietly into her ear.  I knew she couldn't hear it but I said it anyway.

A smile formed on Susannah's beautiful lips as she stirred.  She settled down once more and was deep in dreamland.

~*Suze*~

I was in Paul's room, sitting on his bed and staring out through the glass windows towards the ocean.  His grandfather had a small dock with a motorboat attached and I watched it bob up and down in the storm. 

"I will have you, Suze," said a sickeningly familiar voice.  

"Don't get near me, or I swear I will kill you!" I yelled, clutching the bedsheets.  I couldn't move.  I was stuck in one place and my arms were spread out to the sides of me, spread-eagle fashion.

"You don't really mean that, do you?"  he asked, his wicked grin widening, "you sure seemed to enjoy last time you were here.  I can tell Susannah.  I bet Jesse's never kissed you half as well as I did."

"He's ten times the man you will ever be," I spat out, enraged.  He came closer to me.  His nose was bruised and purple from the place where I had broken it the other day.  

"I think you'll like what I have in mind, Suze," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss me.

I woke up sweating with a yell.  I looked wildly around me, taking in my room, and its familiarity.  'It was just a dream,' I told myself, 'only a dream.'

**A/N**: this chapter was originally mucha longer, but I cut it back because I'm going out of town this weekend (again) and I wanted to have more updates. Enjoy!


	8. I'm Still Here

**A/N**:  Ahhhh, and the story continues.  I tried to get this up as soon as possible, but, hey, homework calls.  Must…..get…..another…….chapter…….up.  (opens new document and starts writing with much gusto)  To all you people out there who read this but DON'T REVIEW………….PLEASE DO! (meheheh) Also to everyone else………thanks soooo much for your reviews!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, I am just a poor writer who makes nothing and writes with a shriveled pencil on napkins in grimy corners of alleys in the city.  Meg Cabot owns everything you recognize and makes all the money.

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 8: I'm Still Here**

~*Jesse*~

I heard her scream, and I, once again, materialized next to her bed.  Susannah was sitting up in her bed, dripping seat and breathing hard.  There was only one person or thing in the world who scared Susannah, and at this moment in time, I was seriously about to run out the door with a knife.  That boy was dead.  I dematerialized into the kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, and ran back up the stairs to her room.  You can't dematerialize with object in your hands; they'll be left behind.  So I brought it over to her bed.

~*Suze*~ 

My hands were shaking and my sheets were all wet from sweat.  I had never had a nightmare like that in my life………was he about to kill me?  Kiss me?  God, I thought I was about to throw up.  That's when (oddly enough), I saw a floating glass of water coming my way.  It found it's way into my hands.

"Jesse," I whispered, emitting squeaks.  I didn't really know what else to say.  I drank the water and lay back down on my bed, staring at the window seat where I thought Jesse would be sitting.  I fell back asleep like that.

~*~*~*~*~

The next morning I looked like crap.  My eyes were all baggy and my hair was all gross, even after I washed it.  I looked like a hag, what with my messed up eyes and shakiness.  I dragged myself out of my shower and downstairs to eat breakfast.  Brad caught one look at me and started laughing.

"Look who got up on the wrong side of the bed today!" he wailed, clutching his stomach.

I wasn't in the mood. "Shut up, punk," I said, and with that I sucker-punched him.  Hard.  His laughing turned to complaining.

"Dad!" he yelled, even though Andy was right there, "she punched me!  Did you see that?"

"Well, Brad, it was provoked.  But Suze, you really shouldn't use violence to solve things," Andy said.  That was odd. Usually he would just ground both of us, but he looked extremely happy.  I put it in the back of my mind and grabbed a pop-tart and dragged myself out the door to Sleepy's car.

At school, things were not going well.  CeeCee and Adam took one look at me and were immediately asking me what happened, and when CeeCee was about to ask me if it was because Jesse had dumped me or something like that, I said, "I gotta get to class, bye."  She looked extraordinarily disappointed.  

I made a pit-stop at Father D's office.  He was looking over a huge pile of papers when I walked in.  He looked up in surprise at me.

"Susannah, aren't you supposed to be in history right now?" he fiddled with a pen he was holding.

"Yeah, but I have a question," I said, shifting between feet nervously.  I wasn't really sure if it was a good thing to tell Father D what I was about to.

"What's on your mind," he said, looking at me.

I fiddled with my thumbs and took a deep breath. "It's Paul Slater," I said with reluctance.

Father D's eyebrows went up………way up.  "What about him?"

"I………I think he seriously wants to kill me, Father D.  I've never gotten this type of feeling about someone before.  I mean, even when Michael Meducci wanted to kill me and the RLS Angels and everything, I never quite felt that at the same time I was being stalked," I rambled on, "And last night he sent me a dream, and I think he was about to kill me in it, but my eyes just kept being averted to this boat, even when he was about to………kiss me in it."  I involuntarily blushed.  I really didn't like discussing my horror/love life with priests.  Especially ones who are the principal of your school.  Suddenly, I remembered something that happened in my dream that I had completely forgotten about.  The glinting, a golden glinting coming from his wall.  The thought nagged at my brain.

Father D stood up so quickly some of the papers fell to the ground.  "He sent you a dream? Good heavens, it that possible?"

"Well, obviously it is because he told me he did this morning, and there was no other way he could have known," I replied simply.

"He told you this?  Why?" Father D asked, rubbing his forehead in confusion.

"Well, I think that he thought the dream I would get would be good.  I don't think he expected to murder or jump me in it," I said, "I got the feeling that he didn't know what the dream would contain, only that he could send me one--"

At that moment, a nun popped her head in and said, "Father Dominic, Mrs. Wells is on line one, she says it's urgent."

Father D looked at me pointedly, "We'll continue this later Susannah.  I need to think about this dream thing."  Taking that as a dismissal, I left the office.

~*Jesse*~

I found the book underneath her bed.  I hated snooping around like this, but it was urgent.  I opened the book and caught a few browning pages as they slipped out of it and onto the floor.  I neatly tucked them back inside and flipped to the first post-it I had put in.  "Shifters," the section was entitled.  I started flipping through the pages………Mind and body control, Dimension Traveling, Exorcisms, Dream Transfers, Spirit Melding ( I flipped past that one in horror), Body-Swapping……….and with two chapters left I found it. It was hidden in a little footnote on the bottom of the page.  It said, "Reincarnation:  Unfortunately, the shifter is unable to perform this task.  The ghost must do it by himself or herself.  The only way reincarnation is done is by the use of the Medallion of Life.  There are only a few of these left in the world, for they can only be used once, and they are often just mistaken for worthless pieces of jewelry because of their appearance.  While incredibly shiny, they are just a rough cutting of metal, bound to a cord usually.  The metal they are made of, however, is not of this world and it allows a spirit, at the right time, to use it to reincarnate oneself.  The spirit will know when that time comes."  A sketch of a medallion was next to the explanation, and it appeared just as ugly as the explanation described it.  

My heart sunk as I read the passage.  How would I ever find on of these?  I reread the passage again and closed the book with a sigh.  I had better put it away before Susannah got home from school and saw me reading it.  I placed it under her bed again and picked up "Romeo and Juliet" right as Susannah walked in.  She looked distressed and I wished with all my heart that I could hold her and tell her that everything would be all right.  She must have seen the book floating in the air because she looked straight at me and said, "He sent it, Jesse.  He sent me the dream."  I dropped the book in surprise and it fell to the floor with a thump. 

She fell backwards onto her bed and let out a long sigh, "What am I going to do, Jesse?"  Her hair was spread out around her like a halo.  I longed to touch it.  "But the glint! What was the glinting thing? And the boat?"

I looked around the room and found what I was searching for.  I wrote carefully on the piece of paper, "Tell me about the dream."  I brought it over to her and dropped it into her hand.  She looked at it in surprise and quickly read it.  She opened her mouth and sighed.  I saw this intense battle going on in her mind, and I snatched the paper back up.  "I promise I will not hunt down Paul," I scribbled.  She read it and then opened her mouth.

When she was done explaining she sat up and pulled her knees up to her chest on her bed.  "But the glinting thing on the wall! And the boat!  I can't even get those two images out of my mind.  At first I completely forgot the shiny thing was there; I don't even remember dreaming it.  But it's pulling at my brain like a tug-of-war now."

My eyes opened wide in surprise.  Glinting thing?  But—the book.  A shiny metal—a glinting thing on Paul's wall.  It didn't take that long for me to put two and two together, and I walked over to the windowsill and began planning the long night ahead.  

**A/N**:  Sorry! I know this chapter's somewhat short (again), and sorry for the wait (major writer's block)!  Hey, I really want to know if you guys know what's going to happen.  Tell me if you think you do! Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!  Thanks for reading people! I love you all!


	9. Landslide

**A/N**:  Muahahah!  I'm **sorry** to say that while darkcherry's little argument was convincing, and xoxolx3 is on the right track, people have yet to guess my evil plan (rubs hands together and laughs in that _evil way).  And yes, genies9, you really HAVE had too much sugar…but I have had too much too so it's all good!  So another chapter begins………and just so you all know this story is going to get a little graphic….mehehehe.  Hey, just wondering………is this story getting sucky?  I kinda think it is, but maybe it's just me. Please tell me!_

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 9: Landslide**

It was dark as I materialized in Paul's rooms.  Right away my eyes were drawn to the medallion on his wall.  It was hanging by a thick leather cord on a nail on his wall.  The only problem was that it was right above his bed.  The bed he was sleeping in.  I was mentally kicking myself for not thinking of that.  His grey carpeted floor muffled the footsteps that only he could hear as I sidled closer to his bed.  He looked just as malicious sleeping as he did when he was awake.  His chest was rising and falling under heavy blankets.  

The medallion had an unearthly glow to it from the moonlight pouring through Paul's windows.  I noticed a motorboat floating next to a dock outside through the massive glass panes. Funny, that's what Susannah saw in her dream, that's what she was drawn to.  It didn't seem all that important, just floating there so I disregarded it and focused my attention on getting that medallion.  

Paul turned over in his sleep and I got ready to dematerialize at a moment's notice.  When he didn't stir again, I quietly tried making the medallion come to me, but it wouldn't budge.  I should have thought of this, I told myself, and made a chair float over to where I was standing.  I set it down noiselessly and stepped onto the hard wood.  The glow of the medallion lit up my hand as I reached for it over Paul's sleeping body.  I held me breath—even though I technically don't breathe, as I slipped my hand around the leather cord.  It slid down my arm and I pulled back quickly, careful not to lose my balance.  I got off the chair, put it back to where it belonged, pulled the leather cord around my neck and dematerialized.

~*Suze*~

When I woke up the next morning, I found that the shiny thing in my dream wasn't bothering me as much anymore.  That was strange….maybe it had something to do with talking to Jesse about it. That's what's so great about Jesse; you can talk to him about anything and feel better right away.  Of course, he is dead, and at the moment, I can't see him, but he helped anyway.  

I got to school late, but I was completely overwhelmed with happiness.  Tonight's the night I get to see Jesse again!  I could barely contain myself the entire day and in history CeeCee passed me a note.  It said, "Simon, what's up with you? Yesterday you were all depressed or like freaking out about something, and today you're like about to jump out of you're pants.  There's something you're not telling me, I know."  I should have expected something like this.  I mean, I did tell her my life story the other day, so she naturally would want to hear everything else that goes on in my life now.  How stupid would it look if I was all, "well, for awhile there I couldn't see or hear my boyfriend, and I'm going to see him for the first time again tonight"?  That would be completely lame.  I just took my pencil and scribbled back, "Nothing, really.  Brad was just being a jerk."  When in doubt, blame Brad.  I handed it to CeeCee, and even though I could tell she wasn't buying my excuse, she kept her mouth shut.  Inwardly, I sighed with relief. 

History ended a little late (there are no bells in our school, the teachers just let us out, but sometimes they forget), and when I got into the hallway, Paul grabbed my arm roughly.  "Where is it?" he whispered harshly, glaring daggers at me.  His fingers were digging into my skin.  It hurt like hell.

"Let go of me!" I said loudly, grabbing his hand with my other one.  He had led me into the janitor's closet, and no one could hear me.  What the heck was this all about?

"I'll ask you again, where is it?" he said calmly, his eyes boring into me.  Yeah, this guy freaks me out.  And the arm?  Not so cool.  

"If you don't let go of me right now………"

Paul interrupted, "you'll do what? Scream?  Too bad poor Jesse can't touch you, or he'd be here right………" he took a step closer to me, his grip tightening. "Now."  At that he forced his lips on mine roughly, and grabbed my other hand as it went up to slap him.  He released me and whispered, "Now where is it?"

"Paul," I said, burning with rage, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He crossed his arms, "the medallion, Suze, where's the medallion?"

"What medallion?" I questioned, the poison in my voice inevitably noticeable.

"You know what I'm talking about, Suze.  Don't play dumb with me." He was getting impatient, and it was starting to scare me a little.

"Look, you can either tell me what this medallion thing is all about, or you can let me go, because I'm already late for English, and I really don't need to get in anymore trouble here," I demanded, pondering over whether I should knee him or not.

"The medallion over my bed, Suze!  Get with it!" he said, his grip tightening even more.  I didn't think it could get much tighter than it was, but it did.  I winced under the pain.  Just as my knee was getting in a good position between his legs, I remembered.  The shiny thing in my dream.  What was so important about it?

I flashed my best smile and stopped fighting. "Why do you want it so badly, Paul?" I asked innocently.

Paul looked at me for a second as though he couldn't believe his eyes.  "It's……….It's………it's just a rather important piece of jewelry that my………mother passed on to me," he chose his words carefully.

There was no way that a guy would lock someone in a closet and squeeze their arms off because of a piece of his mother's jewelry.  Especially not a guy like Paul. He never gave a damn.  I gave him a very skeptical look, and he was looking flustered.

"You don't know what it's for, then?" he asked, his stare piercing my eyes.  It seemed as though he was searching my brain, and I didn't like it.  "You really don't!" he exclaimed.

"So, what's it for?" I asked, moving myself closer to him.  I hated myself right now more than anyone in the world for doing this, but it was the only way, and he seemed to be falling for it.

He let go of one of my arms and slid a hand around my waist. Ugh! How gross!  I ignored these sentiments, though, and acted as though I was enjoying it. 

"Oh, let's just say that it could help out your little Jesse somewhat.  I wouldn't want that, now would I?" he said, bringing his head into kiss me.  And with that I brought my knee up hard, which was difficult given my new black mini I was wearing, and Paul doubled over in pain.  I ruffled his hair and opened the door quickly, "Sorry Paul, but I really gotta run," I yelled as I hurried off to English.

As Kelly went on and on about something in Macbeth, I rolled the words Paul had said over and over in my head.  Help Jesse?  And I wouldn't want it?  I hoped I would have some answers by tonight………when I saw Jesse again!

**A/N**: Hey y'all, I know it coulda been longer, but if I made it longer, it would have been at least a week before I got it up.  =oP Stupid teachers………busy work………thanks for reading though! And please drop in a little review for little old me.  =oD 


	10. Better Man

**A/N**:  Hey people! Long time no see!  I'm _SOOOO_ sorry about the wait! I've been completely overloaded and everything and I haven't had one _INSTANT_ to work on this story.  I'm blowing off homework right now to do it, but who needs homework??  Lol.  Anyways, for those of you who are dying for Jesse to rip Paul apart, you'll get a very small dose of it very soon!

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 10: Better Man**

I took the medallion off of my neck for about the twentieth time that day.  I moved my hand over its gleaming surface, finding myself reflected many times in the roughly cut metal.  I stared at it.  Usually mirrors didn't show my reflection; I hadn't seen myself in 150 years.  I stared at my face.  'Unusual………' I thought to myself, 'Why can I see myself?'  My eyes roved over my dark hair, always annoyingly curling at the back.  I fingered the small scar over my eyebrow, smoothing it out.  I hadn't seen that in so long………

It brought all the memories of my life flooding back.  My family, my sisters.  I remember their faces when they found out I was dead.  I wanted to comfort them so badly, show them that I was still there.  But after time they passed on, too, but straight to heaven.  They never saw me since that fateful day I left home to marry Maria.  I sighed and felt the bumpiness of the thing, still not able to tear my eyes off of my reflection.  My liquid black eyes stared back.

At that moment Susannah walked into the room.  She didn't take one look my way, she only threw her backpack down and fell back onto her bed, sighing.  I looked at her curiously and walked over to her.  The medallion was hanging from my hands, and Susannah still didn't notice me.  That was odd; she should be able to see the medallion, it was not a ghost.  I held it up right in front of her face and waved it back and forth.  But she just lay there staring at the ceiling.  At that moment, she sat up, passing right through the my arm………and the medallion.  

"_Nombre__ de dios," I said out loud, pulling my arm and the medallion back through her body.  I hated when people passed through me, but it depressed me even more when it happened with Susannah, my querida, because it never had happened before now. I set the medallion on the bed next to her, thinking that maybe if I wasn't touching it it would be visible.  She still didn't see it.   I took it back up in my hands again by the leather cord._

At that moment a knock came on the door, and it opened to reveal a rather flustered looking Andy Ackerman.  "Suze, there's a boy at the door for you," he said.  

Susannah looked up from where she was lying on the bed.  "Um, thanks, I'll be right down," she said with curiosity.  She smoothed out her extraordinarily short skirt and hurried down the stairs.  I hurried after her.

When I got downstairs, I saw who it was who had come to see her that day.  It was Paul Slater, and I could rip his heart out.  However, I stayed hidden so Paul wouldn't notice me and because I thought the fact that Paul could see me and my querida couldn't would be a little too distressing on her.  She took one look at him and turned around to go back upstairs.  As she spun around, he roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her outside.  I followed and hid myself behind the door, only allowing one eye to peek through.  

Paul looked around him for a moment, and then looked at my querida fiercely.  "You may think that you've gotten away from me this time, Suze, but you haven't.  I still need to know where that medallion is.  Otherwise………otherwise you may not be seeing your Jesse ever again," he sneered maliciously.  My fists were white from being clenched, but I couldn't reveal myself.  He would see what was around my neck.  And I didn't even want to know what the consequences of that would be.    

Susannah looked at him coolly.  "I still don't know what you're talking about Paul, but it's getting late, and I hope that the next time you come to threaten me about this medallion, you will tell me what it is.  These little meetings that we've had are getting both you and me nowhere," she replied indifferently, almost in a bored voice.  

Threaten?  He had been threatening my querida? With that I tore the medallion from around my neck, threw it somewhere behind me, and jumped out from behind the door where I was hiding.  Paul seemed quite surprised by this.  He fell down hard when I landed on him and we rolled down the steps leading up to the house.  After I had thoroughly punched him (he had only gotten one punch off on me) I threw him in his car and slammed the door, saying, "Next time you want to see Suze, it'll be the day you die."

It seemed as though he didn't mind that I had just beaten him up.  In stead he gave me a look that clearly said, "I've got the girl."

Then his face was twisted into a malicious sneer, but he looked over a Suze, sighed, and with that, he drove away.  I turned back around to find Suze sitting on her front steps, staring down at the steps wordlessly.  Confused, I sat down on the steps next to her.  I guess she realized that I was there because she looked beside her and I saw something in her eyes I couldn't quite identify.

"Jesse," she said in that adorable squeaky voice of hers, glancing up as her forehead wrinkled, "Jesse, I can't stand it anymore."

I gave her a quizzical look even though she couldn't see me.  At that moment, I knew exactly what she was feeling and what that look was in her eyes.  Very few people would ever feel what I was feeling, but I never thought she felt the same way about me.  

"He………can see you………and I can't!" she raged, standing up quickly. "That bastard! I swear!  I'll………I'll………" she cut off, looked up, and stormed off into the house.  

I followed her quickly, only stopping to grab the medallion from where I threw it, and hurried after her worried out of my mind.  If only she could wait a few more hours………

**A/N**: once again, I AM _SO_ SORRY!  AHHHH!  Stupid Swimming end of the year meets/practices keeping me from my precccioooussssss (haha).  I know its REALLY short, but it was this or nothing!  Will Suze do something crazy/psycho?  Can Jesse stop her?


	11. Unchained Melody

**A/N**:  I had to write this chappie before spring break because I wanted to get another one up, so sorry if there's some grammatical mistakes and such because I haven't had time to proofread!  Love ya all! And thanks a million for all your reviews!

**_Warning:_**_ FLUFF!!!_

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 11: Unchained Melody**

~*Suze*~

I stormed into the house, my mind whirling with crazy thoughts of Paul and a fist in his face.  I threw on a black sweatshirt and sweatpants, grabbed my tool belt and slung it around my waist and started walking across the room when a piece of paper flew up right in front of my face.  In huge, black, bold letters was the word "Stop!".  I came to an abrupt halt. The window I was planning on climbing out of slammed shut and the lock turned.  

"Jesse, let me go!" I said loudly, not caring if my mom or anyone else for that matter heard me.  The piece of paper curved as though in a hand and the marker flew across the room and wrote upon it, "Only a half hour more.  I can't lose you, Susannah.  Can you wait a half hour?"  My eyes flicked to the sky through the window.  The moon was rising early tonight, and it was full.  The red sun was sinking out below the waves of the Pacific and turning the whole world orange.  My eyes opened in surprise.  I had completely forgotten!  Tonight was the night when I could finally see Jesse again!  I looked at my watch.  Eight O'clock.  But I couldn't wait another hour to meet Father Dom.  

I looked where I supposed Jesse was because that's where the paper was hanging in midair.  "C'mon Jesse," I demanded, and walked towards the window purposefully.

I climbed out onto the roof and down onto the deck in the back of my house.  The hot tub was right next to me, and I carefully avoided any windows in case any of my family happened to be looking outside and ran off towards the beach, praying that Jesse was still with me.  

It was dark by the time my feet touched sand, even though only a few minutes had passed.  I was standing in the middle of the beach under the bright moon, staring out as it lit up the ocean.  I tried to say, "Jesse", but it came out as barely a whisper. What if it didn't work?  Would I ever be able to see him again?

The beach was empty of people, and my toes curled in the cool sand as waves crashed onto the shore.  As I was staring, a single rose floated up in front of me, and it was right then that I knew it couldn't fail.  It had to work, I wouldn't let it fail.  I lifted my hand and closed my eyes as my hand closed around the rose.  I jolt of electricity ran through my body, and I knew it was time.  In my mind, I imagined drowning in his inky black eyes.  Smoothing my fingers over the scar on his eyebrow, as I had longed to forever.  I imagined his hair curling crisply at the back of his neck, and peeking through his shirt at his tanned washboard abs.  I imagined his large arms around me, holding me, and when I had his perfect image in my mind's eye, I opened my real eyes.  

Staring back at me were Jesse's, and now I felt his arms around my waist.  When I looked into his eyes, I nearly died with relief.  Jesse, seeing that I was looking right at him, snatched me up and crushed me in a hug, breathing "Querida………" into my hair and kissing the top of my head, a feat I thought impossible.  I could feel his heart racing, and I was sure he noticed mine was pounding, also.  I wanted to stay there in his arms forever, but soon I found myself suffocating.  

"Need……..air……….Jesse………" I gasped.

He pulled back, blushing slightly, if ghosts can blush, and smoothed my hair with one hand and he grinned down at me.  At that moment, everything in the world felt right, everything made sense.  It didn't matter that Jesse was a ghost, or that he was 150 years old.  All that mattered was that he was here with me.  

"Jesse, I've missed you so much," I said truthfully.  But I noticed something new.  There was a medallion around his neck, and while it's appearance was dull, there was something deeper in it.  And that I could only guess.

He grinned even more.  "You have? I mean, querida, you don't know what it's been like to see you upset but no able to help.  It's pure………torture," he said, a pained look in his eyes.  "I never want you to go through that again."

I lifted my hand and fingered the medallion.  "What's this, Jesse?"  I asked carefully.  Maybe some other ghost girl gave it to him or something?  Then where would I be? Completely dumped is where I'd be.  

When I asked, his eyes twinkled with something I couldn't identify.  He looked like a child in a candy store, he was so happy.  He looked at me straight in the eye and said, "This is our future, Susannah."

I groaned with impatience. "Stop being a cryptic, Jess.  Seriously, what is it?"

"Cryptic?  I have a question for you, Susannah.  If there were a way; a way for us to be together, would you want it?" He said, choosing his words carefully.

Is he on crack? "Are you kidding me? Of course I would!" I replied.  Then his words hit me.  An idea hit me that could never in a thousand years be true.  It was too good to be true.  "Are you telling me," I stammered, "are you telling me that this………this can bring you back? To life?"

He simply nodded, just as serious as he was a moment before.  Justas I was about to jump him with happiness, Jesse froze.  He went limp and fell down on the sand, still not moving. My eyes opened in shock, forgetting everything I had just heard. 

"Jesse?" I said, kneeling over.  I knew he couldn't die or anything, but it was so scary, his eyes staring off into space, his lips slightly parted and him not moving.  If he were alive, I would say he looked as though he were dead, but that's impossible!  I bent over, shaking, not knowing what was going on.  

Suddenly, out of nowhere, something hit me on the back of my head—hard, and everything went black.

~*Jesse*~

I watched through unmoveable eyes as Paul snuck up behind her.  I tried to yell out, move my  fists, anything.  Her beautiful eyes were still worried as she looked down at me and her eyebrows were creased with fear.  I tired to reach out to her, pull her away from that demon Paul, but I couldn't.  He was lifting his wooden baseball bat behind him, getting in position an remaining perfectly silent.  He swung, and Susannah fell forward on top of me, limp.  Her body was warm on mine, and staring down at me from above was Paul, grinning maliciously.  

"Too bad the timing wasn't right, Jesse, or you could've saved her.  Lucky for me I can control your movements.  Unlucky for you, or lucky if you look at it in a sadistic way, your girlfriend's as good as dead," he sneered.  

He grabbed her shoulders and stood her up, then slung Susannah over his shoulder and walked off the beach.  

**A/N**: Ahhh!  Sorry about the length again!  I know this chappie kinda sucked, but I wrote it really fast, so forgive me!  I love suggestions if you think of any improvements!  I'll try to get one more up before spring break!!  Craziness!!!! The story's almost over………dundundun………Will Susannah be alright?  Will Jesse save her? Will she save herself?  Can Jesse come back to life?  Will Paul get his @$$ kicked?  Okay! So here's to all my much loved and faithful reviewers:

**Xoxolx**3: Paul?!? Not so bad?!? AHHHH!  (just my personal opinion………mehehehe) Writing as fast as I can!

**Lazee2signin**: I'm going! I'm going! Thanks for all your posts! Confuzzling…good word!  Thanks again!

**Trixi**** Summers:  Oh!  Good spotting there!  I have to admit, you're the first one to notice the boat!  Maybe you can guess what'll happen………**

**Divine-Bovines**: I hate Paul, too!

**Xiaoxiao**: Whoever said Jesse would figure it out……mehehehe………

**Ndblue123**: I am!

**Katy-lynn**:  I know what you mean, but I have so much to do it's like I can't write more if you guys want an update!  I don't want you to cry!  AhhH! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Genies9**: ((choking)) I'M UPDATING!


	12. Goodbye Earl

**A/N**:  Please don't kill me!!  **ducks to avoid sharp flying objects** I'm really sorry this took me so long, I had vacation and lately I've had tons of homework, not to mention the fat that I wrote this entire chapter and then forgot to save it, thereby deleting the entire thing (it was on a school computer, so it didn't do that whole 'rescue' dealiyo).  Anyways, I know it's kind of short, but that's only because I (of course) needed to leave you all with an adequately good cliffhanger.

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 12: Goodbye Earl**

_Dedicated to all my faithful reviewers!!_

When I got up my head hurt like no other.  It was as if someone was hammering nails into it over and over.  When I reached to rub it though, I realized that my arms were tied together, around some kind of metal pole.  I tried my legs, but was unfortunate enough to find out that they, too were tied together.  I stared around the seemingly small room I was in, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness.  I was in the middle of the room, and to the left and right of me there were uncomfortable-looking couches and this fold-up table in the middle.  The doorway was in front of me, only instead of being at room level, there were stairs leading up to the night sky that was just barely visible.  There was some sort of stove next to the stairs and a small refrigerator.  There was no mistaking where I was, I was in a boat.  

The loud humming noise of an engine roared under my feet, and it made my headache ten times worse.  The floor was slightly vibrating and every once and awhile the boat would lurch forward, due to what I'm assuming to be waves.  

I closed my mind to see if I could remember how I got myself into yet another sticky situation.  I mean, seriously!  How many times does a girl have to deal with psychopathic killers who tie their victims to a pole inside a boat?    

As I was standing there, the memories came flooding back to me.  Jesse………I could see him again!  But then, wait!  Then I blacked out?  Typical.  All a girl wants in life is to see her boyfriend, but the aforementioned psychopathic killers always have to ruin it.  

Suddenly I heard the engine cut and footsteps echo above my head.  They started down towards the entrance to the cabin, and I braced myself for whatever was coming.  

A foot………and a knee………and another foot………a torso……….and finally my captor was revealed to me, and it was the last person in the world I hoped it to be.  Not to say that I didn't really expect it, I just was hoping that it was someone who knew me less, and didn't share my cursed talent for seeing ghosts.  Because this guy scared me like nothing else, as proved by my almost nightly nightmares.

Paul finished climbing down the steps and stopped about three feet in front of me, blocking the moonlight and running a hand through his brown curls.  He came closer to me and whispered seductively in my ear, "I didn't want to have to do this, Susannah.  But you and that cowboy Jesse leave me with no choice.  No need to worry about him, though.  He will be long gone by the time I've even started on you."

Then he smiled.

Only crazy people talk about murder and smile, and I had no doubts about the state of this guy's sanity.

I looked at him straight in the eye and said, "Untie me, Paul, or I'll kick your butt from here to kingdom come", trying unsuccessfully to cover the shakiness in my voice.  

"Now why would I want to do that, Suze?  It would ruin all the fun!"  He laughed again.  He took a step closer to me, and lifted a tan hand, slowly gliding a finger along my cheek. "It's too bad you didn't listen to me, Suze.  Jesse wouldn't be fending for his immortal soul at the moment, and you wouldn't be fending for your life.  Things would be perfect, and we would be together, the greatest Shifters that ever lived."  

"You're crazy!" I yelled, lunging at him in vain with all my might.  My binding dug into my wrists and ankles, but I didn't really notice it.  "What are you doing to Jesse?"  I practically screamed into his face. 

If my screams did break his eardrums, which they should've, he didn't say anything.  He simply looked at me in amusement.  "You look so sexy when you're mad," he said, that wicked grin plastered on his face again.  He moved in closer, leaning down, and placed another of those bone-rattling kisses on my lips.  I can't even believe that I had *ever* kissed this guy back!  With that thought I bit down on his lower lip, hard.  With jumped back and I saw blood steaming down his chin.  How very much I wished with all my might to smash his face in.  I cracked my knuckles behind my back in agitation and anger, spitting on the floor simultaneously, trying to get rid of that kiss.  

He touched his lip with a calm finger, and looked at the blood in surprise.  "Don't be like that, Suze.  I really don't want to hurt you.  If only you'd cooperate with me, things would run more smoothly and the world would be perfect.  You know I hate losing, and well, there's no way I'm going to lose this one."  He ran a finger down my cheek and I turned my head away from him in disgust.  

"Now, now Suzie.  You know that won't bring Jesse back from eternal damnation," he said, not lifting his hand from my cheek.  That was the last straw.  No one sentences Jesse to eternal damnation and gets away with it.  I tore my hands out of the ropes, not caring that I ripped the skin in the process and punched him in the face with all my might.  

"That's for Jesse!" I yelled in his face.  While he was recovering I tore the ropes off from around my ankles.  When I looked up, he was coming at me with murder in his dark eyes.  Without another thought, I jumped him and we both fell to the floor.  After many punches and swearing, his hands closed around my neck.  I struggled, gasping for air and trying to get out from under his 200 lb. body.  He let go with one hand, but you know the bad thing about huge guys? They have huge hands.  Like, one is big enough to strangle someone with.  So one of his hands was clamped around my neck and the other reached into his pocket.  Still gasping for air I watched in horror as he pulled out a very long and very pointy knife.  It was even bigger than the one that skank Maria had use don me.  I became very still as he slowly glided his hand holding the knife towards my throat.  He held it there, and leaned in to whisper quietly in my ear.  "Just remember that you brought this upon yourself, Suze.  I really don't want to have to do this, but goodbye," he muttered.

A crash resounded somewhere above us and Paul was roughly pulled off of me.  Paul looked up at the intruder in complete shock, lost for words.  

"I don't think so, Paul," said Jesse murderously. 

**A/N**:  Chapter 12 complete………and the fic is winding down to an end =o(.  By the way, don't shoot me if there are mistakes in this chappie, I haven't really had time to revise it.  Hey ya'll I'm almost at 100 reviews!  You're so incredible!  Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chappie!  Sorry I can't list you all, but you're _AMAZING AND I LOVE YOU TO DEATH_!!!**Happy dance**


	13. Extreme Ways

**MONDO A/N THINGY**:  Sorry about that cliffie last chapter, but it was completely and utterly necessary =o).  Aren't I just evil?  Anyways, here's the chapter where the story (in my opinion) gets interesting and a 'lil anguishy.  BE PREPARED!!!!   BAD THINGS _DO HAPPEN!!!  Paul's a @$$, by the way.  I hate him!  That's why I make him so _evil_.  Thanks for getting me to 100, ya'll!  You're the best!  And thanks to Delirious Unicorn as my 100th!  Oh, and will someone e-mail me and tell me how to do all that crazy HTML stuff so I can make things bold and such?  My e-mail's MCFoley5@aol.com is you know how!  Please!  I want my stories to pretty!_

**Disclaimer**:  I own absolutely nothing except for the plot and such.  Meg Cabot owns all.  I wish I owned Jesse, though………or could at least borrow him for a night or two ;o)

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 13: ****Extreme Ways******

~*Suze*~

There was an innately murderous look in Jesse's inky black eyes.  I had only seen that look in them once before, and the last time I saw it he threw Paul down the stairs and through a plate glass window.  

Paul sat back in astonishment, staring up at Jesse.  "But, I had you………how could you have………there's no way you can………"

"There's a lot of things about me that you don't know, Paul.  But I'm not going to get into that.  We can't give all our secrets away now, can we?" Jesse said roughly, bearing down on Paul.  

"I thought I told them to take care of you!" Paul exclaimed, a little fear showing in his eyes.  He must be remembering the last time Jesse wanted to kill him.  

"They tried.  But you overrate them, Paul," murmured Jesse simply, still walking towards us.  

Paul ignored this comment and turned the conversation to me.  "Oh, so you've come to save the little slut would kisses and tells?  Has she sighed when you've kissed her yet, or anything else you've done to take her innocence away?  You probably use her just for a good lay, don't you, Jesse?  It probably makes your death a lot more bearable.  Does she realize you're using her like this?  Maybe I should put her out of her misery right here and now………"  sneered Paul, referring to me.  If he didn't have that massive knife at the tip of my throat I would have jumped him right then and there.  He was the one who kissed me, and he was the one who told!  And Jesse was _not using me!  If anything he wasn't doing enough judging from his recent lack of open affection in the form of not kissing me.  _

Jesse, however, was pissed.  I knew he had been holding back because of the precarious situation I was in, but this put him over the edge.  He raised a fist to Paul's face and smashed it in.  Then he pounced on him pulling him away from me, and a full-fledged fight started.  Jesse threw Paul up the stairs and out onto the deck of the boat, where I couldn't see them.  All I heard was scuffling and swearing.  Damn Jesse!  Why can't he stay where I can see them so I know he's not like mutilated or something?  Footsteps echoed above my head, and then a loud thud resonated through the room.  There was some scratching and then another loud thud and everything went quiet.  I know Jesse's mad, and that he can be crazily strong when he's mad, but he's fighting _Paul.  Paul's completely ripped!  He'll maul Jesse to pieces!  _

~*Jesse*~

Paul thought he could get rid of me easily.  He thought he could have his little motorcycle cronies take care of me for awhile while he murdered my querida.  It was quite easy to take care of them but, Paul, Paul was a different story.  _Nombre__ de dios that guy is hard to fight!_

When I first materialized on the boat, Paul had a knife to Susannah's throat, ready to kill her at any minute.  That's what did me in.  No one lays a finger on my querida and gets away with it!  I pulled him off of her and threw him out onto the deck where he couldn't hurt Susannah anymore.  Paul slashed at me, laying a bloody gash in my side.  Finally, after about five more cuts and a lot of punching, I punched Paul's face one more time and he fell to the ground, appearing unconscious.  Thoughts of Susannah, my querida y amor came rushing back into my head like a tidal wave.  I ran back into the cabin to make sure she was all right only to see the worst sight I have ever laid my eyes on.

~*Suze*~  

I braced myself for the inevitable as footsteps stated coming down the stairs again.  However, instead of see a lopsided grin and gleaming eyes topped with curly brown hair, I saw Jesse.  I breathed a loud sigh of relief and fell back to the floor, unable to hold my shaking legs up anymore.  

Jesse winced as he walked down the stairs, holding a gash in his side where silvery blood (because ghost blood has that spectral glow to it) was pouring out.  He had a long gash across his cheekbone and slashes down his arms.  However, when he saw me his pained face broke into a wide smile. 

I sat up from where I was sprawled on the floor and grasped my wrists, trying to stop the blood flow from where I had ripped my hands out of the ropes.  They burned with pain and blood kept spilling from around my fingers despite the pressure I was trying to put on the wounds.  "Jesse," I murmured, becoming lightheaded and swaying in my steps.  

Jesse stopped, and turned around to look at me.  His eyes wandered down, settling on my wrists.  "Suze," he breathed, snatching me up into his arms.  He kissed the top of my head and took my wrists into his hands.  

I melted into his firm hold, and it was the only thing that was keeping me upright.  My right wrist was in much worse shape than my left, and my left had almost stopped bleeding.  He quickly closed his large hands around them, effectively stopping the flow of blood and helping me sit down with him.  I knew without a doubt that if he let go, I would die.  I don't know how I knew it, I just did.  The pressure he was putting on my wrists changed the pain from sharp stabs to a dull thud, like someone was hacking as them with a very dull knife.  I bit my lip back in pain and buried my face in his shirt.  His arms closed around me tighter and tears welled up in my eyes.  Would I see my mom again? How could she deal with the two people in her family, her husband and her daughter, being dead?  I should have waited for Father Dom tonight.  He would have helped prevent something like this from happening.  Trying to look at the brighter side of things, I realized that I'd still be able to see Jesse when I'm dead.  

Jesse, meanwhile, was whispering Spanish into my hair soothingly.  He noticed that my left wrist had stopped bleeding and opened his hand slightly, satisfied with the result.  He let go of it entirely and snaked it around my waist, pulling me into him and tucking my head under his, rocking back and forth.

"Susannah, don't worry.  I won't let go.  We'll get you out of here, querida," he muttered into my hair with all the appearance of confidence.  But there was no mistaking the concern and panic in his voice.  

"Jesse………" I whispered, feeling blackness wash over me.

"No! You can't go to sleep on me, querida.  Stay awake!  Stay with me!" Jesse whispered frantically, roughly shaking me.

It pulled me back into consciousness.  I felt a warm wetness on the top of my head and realized that Jesse was crying.  I had never seen Jesse cry in my entire life and I couldn't even believe that I was doing this to him.  Putting him through this.  I didn't know how much longer I could stay awake, though.  All I wanted to do was go to sleep and get a nice, long rest.

**A/N**:  I have no idea why, but that chapter was incredibly hard for me to write.  I already have the next chapter written, and that one was even harder. =o(  Please don't flame this one, it took me forever and I rewrote it like 20 times before I gave up and settled on this version.  Arrrgh, I can't stand it when Jesse cries, damn him.  Oh, and remember, Although Jesse *did* cry in this story once before, Suze did not see it, so to her he hasn't yet.  If you guys have any questions PLEASE ASK!!!   And to my reviewers:

**Delirious Unicorn**: Thanks for being my 100th!  What did you think of the chappie after you read it?

**Hannirose**:  Unfortunately, I'm leaving you in the same situation again.  Sorry, I just love cliffhangers!  

**Jackie723**: and you got your wish!  Hey Jesse, it's your birthday………

**Ultimate Worshipper**:  And I bow down to you for reviewing!  Thanks so much!

**Buffy926**:  Thanks a ton, dude!  It's not ending *too* soon, we still have a few chappies left, and the best is yet to come (in my opinion!).  

**Jennifer**:  Oh, it said in one of the Mediator books (I can't remember which) that Adam went to Martha's Vineyard and Cee Cee thought that he met someone judging from how he was acting when he got back.  

**Ndblue123**:  I am!  Thanks for reviewing, bud!

**Genies9**:  ouch! **being shaked** I'm updating, I'm updating!

**See that beautiful purple button below?  _CLICK ON IT_!!! =o)**

Happy reviewing!


	14. Demons

**A/N**:  Okay, so I've noticed that I get a lot of stories mixed up and since it takes some people awhile to update I have to go over the story again before I read the updated chapter so I remember which story I'm reading.  So before this chapter I will include a summary for people who've forgotten what's happened so they can remember! =o)

**Disclaimer**:  I don't own anything!!  Only the plot is mine, and I'm making no money, yo.

**Summary of the Entire Story Thus Far**:  Susannah is taking lessons from Paul on how to be a Shifter, but there is a lot of tension between Paul and Jesse.  Susannah soon realizes that she hasn't seen Jesse in three days, and when he asks Father Dom he realizes that she has lost all her mediating powers.  She breaks Paul's nose (yeah Suze!) and practically beats him up.  Yadda yadda yadda, Suze gets a book on Shifting/Mediating and finds out how to get her powers back.  Paul won't give up trying to win her/threaten her, and finally she gets her powers back only to be hit over the head with a baseball bat (by Paul, of course) and is kidnapped onto the boat (yes, the one from her dream; see chapter 7).  There she is almost murdered by Paul, and then Jesse comes in a beats Paul to a bloody pulp, but Susannah accidentally slashed her forearms (think wrists) up when she pulled them out of tight, thin ropes and she's currently bleeding to death in Jesse's arms.  And now the story continues………dundundun!

**WARNING:**  SUPERIORLY DRAMATIC AMOUNTS OF FLUFF AND ANGST!!!!

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 14: Demons (an AMAZING song by Guster!!)**

~*Jesse*~

Never in my life and death have I been this scared.  Susannah was in my arms, dying.  It was like my worst nightmare had come true and was playing itself out in reality.  Her blood was smeared all over my clothes and hands, shining against my ghostly spectral glow.  The only thing that kept her from dying right then and there was my hand closed around her wrist tightly, and the blood was even beginning to flow out around that.  She started to close her eyes and I panicked.  

"No! You can't go to sleep on me, querida.  Stay awake!  Stay with me!" I practically screamed into her ear.  Her eyes fluttered back open and she looked warily up at me.  

She couldn't die!  If she did, it would be entirely my fault for leading her to that beach tonight and  not waiting for Father Dominic.  How would her mother deal with the situation?  What would Father Dominic do?  No, this girl, my querida's, life was too precious.  I **had** to save her no matter what.  I desperately wracked my brain for a solution, any solution.  None came to mind. I thought of everything I read about ghosts and mediators, but there was nothing in all my years of research that could solve this unbearable situation.  

I had never seen her this helpless, this………vulnerable.  I pulled her mouth up to mine in a kiss, urgently trying anything to keep her up and awake.  Love for her flooded trough my body in that kiss, and I put my whole soul into it.  She kissed back weakly, and I could feel the life flooding from her helpless body.  Her left hand reached up around my neck for support, accidentally pulling on the string to the medallion.  The medallion………that was it!  I quickly broke away from the kiss despite her weak protests and lifted the medallion up from around my neck, sliding it onto hers.  The medallion was still glowing, signifying that it was time to do what only I knew I had to do, come back to life.  I knew that this would be my only chance to ever come back to life, but I realized that there are more important things in this world.  Things like Susannah.  She had a family who cared about her, she had friends and mentors who would be devastated if she died.  She looked up as me wearily with shock and anger in her misty eyes.

"I can't……….take this Jesse.  You use it.  Have………your life back," she muttered almost incoherently.  

I kissed her forhead.  "Querida, if I didn't do this I could never forgive myself.  Let's just hope that we can get some help before this is needed," I said soothingly.  "No!  This won't even be needed.  We'll get you out of here, Susannah, no matter what it takes," I said again, not just reassuring her but myself also.

"I………can't take………it," she said, as fiercely as she could.  "You've been………waiting for………so long………I………can't take………that away from………you," she struggled to get out.

"Susannah, you misinterpret why I'm here.  I'm not here to come back to life.  I'm not here to get revenge for what Diego did to me.  I'm here because I've never experienced love………until now.  And because of that I know that I could never let you die, no matter what because I love you.  I love you, Susannah, don't ever forget that," I said, meaning every word that came out of my mouth.

"Jesse………" she murmured again, seemingly incapable of any other speech.  I brought my forehead against hers and closed my eyes, rocking her back and forth.  

If only I had my eyes open I would have known what was coming next.  If only I wasn't so enveloped in Susannah I would have heard the footsteps.  I would have noticed the menacing red clouds forming in the cabin of the boat.  I would have heard the slow chanting coming from behind Susannah.  I would have noticed the gleaming knife that stood just a few feet away, wrapped in someone's hand.  

The first thing I _did_ notice was the pull.  I knew that pull, and had only experienced it once in my life.  It was the most terrifying thing that I had ever experienced, besides the fact that the one love in my life (or death) was dying in my arms.  The pain is unbearable, like it's pulling your heart in opposite directions.  

My eyes flew open the moment I felt this to discover my arms and legs completely covered in the red smoke, and Paul was leaning over the back of Susannah, knife high in the air.

"I told you I don't lose, Jesse," he sneered menacingly before driving the wretched knife hilt-deep into Susannah's back.  I scremed in fierce injustice and pain as she keeled forward into my arms, her eyes glazing over in pain and her mouth muttering an incoherent word.  I tried to reach out to her only to find myself being pulled upward into the abyss of a hole I knew led to the Shadowland.  I screamed at Paul to stop what he was doing to me so I could save her, be with her, but he merely looked up at me with gleamingly evil eyes.  Struggling against the imprisoning ropes of smoke in vain, I watched in horror as Paul leaned over to lightly kiss the dead body of Susannah Simon.  

**A/N**:  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  **calm, Summer, calm**  Yes, I know it's superiorly short, but this was the hardest chapter yet for me to write, and I was seriously thinking about just skipping it and putting a note in that said, "too hard to write, Suze dies and Jesse's exorcised", but I didn't think that would fly.  And to my reviewers, I love you all, especially the ones who threaten to kill me (cause it makes me update sooner!  ::dramatically:: Oh, the fear!!!):

**DiLiRiOuS**** uNiCoRn:  amor means love in Spanish.  Querida is a term of endearment meaning 'sweetheart' and amor is 'love', like my love. I know what you mean about Spanish teachers, they don't teach you the practical stuff!  Just random tings like how to talk about spaceships and such =o) (that's what were working on………WHY??????)  Thanks so much for your awesomely long review!  I love awesomely long reviews!**

**Nimmo**:  I'm actually thinking about writing a part two to this story in this story, cause I'm not a huge fan of sequels.  What do you think?  And thanks so much for your review! It absolutely made my day!

**Kouri**:  Unfortunately in this chapter, Paul does away with both Jesse and Suze **sob!**, and I HATE HIM WiTH A BURNING PASSION FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Sorry, but he's really pissing me off in my own story.  Maybe I should make something bad happen to him. =oD

**Morgaine**** of Ithil:  Really? Thanks dude!  It's funny………I hate when other people write them and I'm reading, but it's just so fun to write them!  Am I being sadistic here? =o)******

**Hannirose**:  judging from the chapter you just read, I think you will have to (fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) kill me with your spork.  (aren't spork's like the greatest invention of mankind? In my opinion, they most definately are!!  **happy dance**) Thanks for reviewing, girl!

**StrawberryMary**:  I don't know………what will he do without her?

**Lala**:  Thanks for the review, and yes, I realized when I was writing chapter 2 that I spelled Susannah wrong, and I'm too lazy to go back and fix it.  Did you only read chapter one?  Thanks for your review, though………

**Jackie723**: I'm getting there, I'm getting there!

**Pale Orchid**:  Thanks so much!  I think my chappies have been getting suckier (at least the writing has), but you made me feel so much better!  Thanks!

**Ndblue123**: getting there………

**Divine-Bovines**: Now that's a threat………I'd better get a-writing (insane friends are the best!)

**Genies9**: lol, thanks bud! Please don't hurt me!

**Darkcherry**: UPDATE YOUR STORY!!!! There, did that help? ;o)  Thanks for your review, girl!

**Dreamerchic**: thanks a whole lot! You'll soon find out what happens next, and yes, Paul is an @$$, possibly the biggest one that ever lived =o)

**Buffy926**: Lol, you actually updated this chappie right after I uploaded the new chappie!  So I replaced it so I could thank you for your review!  THANKS!!! You really like that chapter?  I mean, Jesse DOES kick Paul's ass, and that's always fun!

**_I don't think I forgot anyone, but PLEASE tell me if I do so I can properly acknowledge your greatness!!!!_**

Okay, how abouts we play a reviewing game!  You tell me where you'd rather be right now and with who!  And, if you want, tell me what you think will happen next in the story! =o)  Oh and please, if you have ANY questions about what's going on ASK!!!  That way I can answer them properly before the story's over!!!

**_Example_**:  _I would rather be on a beach in the __Virgin Islands__ with Jesse (who else?) and I think that_________ will happen next in the story! (I can't put it here because I know what's going to happen!)_

**See that beautiful purple button below?  PUSH IT!!!**

Happy reviewing!


	15. Bring Me to Life

**Disclaimer:  The talented Meg Cabot owns everything you recognize, and only the plot and the dude from the bookstore is mine!  I make no money, so don't sue!**

**A/N:  This chapter is kind of intense, just warning you.  Some of you may hate it, in fact.  But I hate these author's notes, so let's just get on with the story!! =o)**

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 15: Bring Me to Life**

~*Suze*~

_The edges of my vision began to fade…_

"I told you…"

_My mind spun_

"…I don't lose, Jesse"

_Thick redness surrounded me and I was thrust into a world of darkness…_

_swooooosshhhsh_…__

_A gurgling noise filled my ears, like being underwater.  I felt like I was floating, suspended in the air but unable to move or open my eyes.  I couldn't feel anything in my body; it was completely numb.  I just floated like that for awhile, my breathing somewhat labored as I tried in vain to open my eyes, trying to remember how I got here.  Suddenly, my aching head smacked into something rock solid and I was once again thrown into darkness…_

I awoke to find every muscle in my body throbbing with pain.  It felt like I had been beaten with clubs by some huge football player over and over again, and then drove a knife into my heart and twisted it—hard.  Blood coursed slowly and dully in my head, giving me the feeling that I was, once again, concussed.  Only it was even worse than last time, when that skank Maria threw me off my roof into a hole.  It was so bad that I couldn't even open my eyes without the fear that my head would split in half.  And on top of that, I had no idea where I was.  Perfect.  In an attempt to figure out where I ended up, I tried to open my eyes but the world only spun in a blurry blob.  My stomach rebelled against me, and I rolled over to get sick all over the ground, which usually doesn't happen to me when I'm concussed.  The thing is, I can't even remember how I did it this time.  Get a concussion, I mean.  I blinked in an attempt to assess my somewhat desperate situation and found that I was lying on a deserted beach, the ocean was lapping up around my wet, sandy body.  

I tried to pull myself up, but found it virtually impossible.  My every instinct told me to stay put and fall asleep, but that was the last thing I needed.  After a few more failed attempts, I decided that my best bet was to lie there and think about how this happened to me.  I mean, where's Jesse?  I called him, but nothing happened.  That's strange.  Usually he's here even before I _think _about him, but he wasn't showing up.  I wracked my brain for possibilities as to where he could be, and pretty soon, vague thoughts were coming back from last night.  I remember a boat, and Jesse, and a rope from something, but that's about it.  There were red clouds and something shining…wait, red clouds?  Now, I've seen clouds and all, but there's only one time you ever see blood-red clouds.  An exorcism.  The moment I thought that word every single memory came rushing back at me from yesterday.  The kidnapping, Paul, Jesse, the fight, and my…my…death?  I slowly lifted a hand and stared at a spectral glow in amazement.  I was every bit a ghost.

~*Jesse*~

After what seemed like eternity, I was deposited on hard ground wrapped in fog.  I knew only too well where I was, and it was the last place on earth I wanted to be.  I looked around for the familiar ancient gatekeeper or the corridor, but none seemed in sight.  There _has to be a way out of here!  I mean, what if someone's life was in danger?  Surely they don't want more ghosts up here than they can handle.  The fog spun in whirlpools around my legs as I started walking quickly in some random direction, praying that I would find some type of person, any person.    The only thing was that I fel like I could hardly breathe, like my heart stopped beating and my brain stopped processing any emotion other than fear and angst.   It was as if someone was taking one of those enormous pillows Susannah's mother bought for her room was smothering me, and all I could do was wonder what was happening.  _

My gaze wandered up to the sky, and noticed something I hadn't before.  This was not the same place…at least I don't think.  The sky in the Shadowland in highly distinct, it is a night sky unlike any ever seen, but this, this was more _real_.  There were fewer stars, and even a moon shone brightly down at wherever I was standing.  I tried to stop, only to realize that I couldn't.  Something was pulling me, it was bringing me somewhere that I could not control.  I figured that I might as well follow, mainly because there was no way for me to fight, and I kept stepping towards my unknown destination.

Apparently I had arrived.  The walking I was forced to do suddenly ceased, and I looked around to see where I was. The most beautiful smell in the world hit my nose, like after a rain, but not as musty.  All of a sudden particles began to form in front of me, resolving into a shape that never ceased to move.  The particles were seemingly the smell, and they came from the sky, the fog, the earth.  They were every bit of time, and space.  I had no idea how I knew this, it just came to me like I knew it all along.  It was as if I was finally coming home, after being in a cold, lifeless prison that was void of any emotion.  My mind suddenly was registering a different feeling, one of hope.  I watched this being, this creature come closer and a voice unlike any other entered my mind.  It was really a voice, persay, but rather an understanding that came in words.  The words, however, had emotions tapped onto them, like a lazy warm summer's day, or the howling of wolves at the shining moon, or even the waves of the ocean rolling onto a deserted shore.  

_Jesse…_ it said

_Do you know why you're here?_

"No, I don't even know where I am," I answered honestly.  

_Please, speak in your mind.  It is harder for us to interpret human language._

_Us?_ I asked, wondering was they (apparently) meant by that.

_Yes, us.__  We are life itself, not God, but life.  What you might interpret to be 'Mother Earth'.  Strange term, we must admit.  We are your experiences, your emotions, the ground you walk on, the air you breathe.  We are even _inside _you._

My mind was spinning with this revelation, and I tried hard to grasp it.  _I'm still not quite sure where I am, I said in my head._

_Alas, that is one question we cannot answer.  It would be too much for you to comprehend, and that, among other things, cannot and will not ever be revealed to you._

_So you aren't God?_ I asked, wondering what the other things were.  I got my answer almost straight away.

_That, too, we cannot reveal.  If we gave you a straight answer, than Faith would not be Faith.  It would be a fact, and Belief and Morality would not be tested because you would _know _that it is true.  _The shape kept shifting, and each particle emitted a different color, creating a spectrum before my eyes.  It was a sight that would, if I had any, take my breath away.

_Do you know why you're here, Jesse?_ It asked, posing the question in my mind.  

_I'm__ assuming it's because I was exorcised, I replied, my hands clasped tightly behind my back.  The truth was, I had no idea how I should be acting around these things.  It's not every day that you speak to the essence of life.  _

Mentally, the things shaked their heads.  _No, if you were exorcised you would be spending time with other ghosts in the Shadowland right now.  The reason you were here, Jesse, is because you are meant to be on earth.  You are the only ghost in the entire history of time that has chosen to forgo another life to save the soul of someone else.  It has never been done before, and that single action assured us that you, are the one we've been looking for.  Psychic mediums, if they can connect with us, are hardly ever wrong, and Susannah awhile ago was given information by one that to this day she has not forgotten.  It is this:  That she would have one love, one love for all of eternity and that she would never love another.  She is meant for great things, Jesse, and she cannot do these things without love.  Love is what drives us, and you, **you Jesse, are the one she loves.  You need to be there for her, not only to lead her to greatness and love her back, but to protect her.  She will need it,  and only too soon, we fear.**_

I stepped back in astonishment.  Susannah loves me?  And she will for all of eternity?  I mean, I knew that she at least felt something for me, but I never knew that her emotions for me were anywhere even close to what I felt for her.  As I was contemplating, the beings spoke again.

_However, what we have just said must never be revealed to her, Jesse.  She must do all this without ever knowing that she did it, otherwise she will be doomed to failure.  And that is something that we cannot accept or allow.  Do you understand?  _It demanded, its voice more serious every second.

_Yes, I do,_ I replied, my tone matching theirs in seriousness.  

_Well, with that in mind, we must be getting you back to earth_, they said, moving closer towards me.  The particles and fog combined began to spin around me, moving faster and faster until they became a whirlwind of color, and I felt myself slipping from whatever dimension I was in into another, more familiar one.  

My feet landed hard on the ground and I opened my eyes to see a deserted beach.  Deserted except for one thing.  Susannah lay by the water's edge, and I gasped in terror when I saw what she was.  She was a ghost.

A/N:  That was the longest chappie I've ever written...1700 words with no authors notes or review responses included!! I know it gets realty intense and all, but I hope you like it!  PLEASE REVIEW!!!

**And to my faithful reviewers**:

**cArEbEaR**:  'Nombre de dios' is basically 'In the name of God', but literally in Spanish 'Names of gods'.  I love when Jesse speaks Spanish!

**Aida**:  Yeah, I'm just not a 'long chapter' kind of girl, I can only concentrate on one chapter for a short period of time; thius, short chappies.  I make up for it in story length, though, right?  Don't worry, though, I'm even depressing myself with this story, so it'll get happier (I _think_).  Thanks for reviewing!

**Nikki**: That isn't a mistake, it was quite deliberate.  The medallion isn't just any object, it is a ghost object and is unseen by humans, and therefore can dematerialize and materialize with the ghosts.  But thanks for making sure I clarified that!

**horsegrl8311:  Thanks so much for your reviews!  I'm glad you like this!**

**Aestas**:  Now THAT'S a thought…………put myself in the story and kick Paul's ass?  Sounds like a plan!! Hehehe. I would, but I don't think I can write myself =o)

**Hannirose**:  **Thinks**  Perhaps you are the only one who gives me death threats…………they're just so much fun!!! **Laughs evilly**  The only thing invented that can beat sporks is Jesse, hehehe.  I just love leaving you hanging, cliffies are the best thing in the world to write!!

**Firelady6**:  Yes, I know I'm evil at cliffies, but I'm sadistic like that =o)

**Morgaine**** of Ithil:  Thanks for playing the game, yo.  It was supercool.  You're actually (somewhat, kinda, um, right) on track!  If you need clarification, just ask, dude!  I came up with some ideas for your HP fic, if you want them!**

**Jackie723**:  HP is my second lover, so as long as Jesse's mine, I'm all good =o).  Good guess with whats going to happen, though!

**Lady Elizabeth**:  I'm hurrying!  Lo siento, señorita!

**Genies9**:  Yes, the tree would solve all my problems………and I like your thoughts!!  Hoo-rah, thanks for the review (and I'm still wondering………)

**ShadowKat**:  And if you don't update, there will be two very, very angry authors!!  Mehehe, Orlando looks so hot in Pirates of the Caribbean, that's the only reason I'm going to see it!! =o)

**Ndblue123**:  Hooray!  I made someone angry!! Jk, jk.  I thought it was a very good stopping place, no?

**Ac_bworm:  No offense taken!  You really like the suspense and you think its interesting?  THAT JUST MADE MY DAY!!!!!  yeah, I tried to copy Meg's style at the beginning, but it totally wasn't me to be all crazy like that so about halfway through I slowly reverted to mine.  And I know she wouldn't kill Suze, and that's why I did it.  Because no one barely ever kills Suze. =o)**

**StrawberryMary**:  Wow………maybe I should update?  Thanks for playing the game!!

**AND THIS IS ANSWERING A QUESTION I GOT AWHILE AGO**: _Why are the windows open right after Suze loses her powers if Jesse is telekinetic and still around, not gone forever?_  

**Answer**:  Yes, Jesse is still around, but he was rather preoccupied that night all the way until when Suze woke up with the evil Paul.  So he wasn't there to close the windows and he was trying to stop Paul from hurting Suze.  Closing the windows wasn't top on his mind =o)

**_MY NEW SONG_** (Goes to 'Mary Had a Little Lamb":

Summer wrote a little story,

A little story,

A little story.

Summer wrote a little story

And thought it would be cool if people reviewed!

Some of them did and it made her day

It made her day

It made her day

Some of them did and it made her day

So review and keep Summer HAPPY!


	16. What You Wish For

**A/N:  **I am a bad, bad, horrible, despicable, unmentionable, tasteless, sadistic person.  I'm sooo sorry for the wait!  I had the busiest summer ever…but here it is!  The last chapter of Part One! (there IS going to be a Part Two, when I get around to planning it)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.  If I were actually as good as Meg Cabot, my stories would be published like a normal person and they would be made into movies.  But, alas, she owns all the characters and pretty much everything you recognize.  Sadly enough, only the fragile, meak plot is mine.

**Summary of the Entire Story Thus Far**:  Susannah is taking lessons from Paul on how to be a Shifter, but there is a lot of tension between Paul and Jesse.  Susannah soon realizes that she hasn't seen Jesse in three days, and when he asks Father Dom he realizes that she has lost all her mediating powers.  She breaks Paul's nose (yeah Suze!) and practically beats him up.  Yadda yadda yadda, Suze gets a book on Shifting/Mediating and finds out how to get her powers back.  Paul won't give up trying to win her/threaten her, and finally she gets her powers back only to be hit over the head with a baseball bat (by Paul, of course) and is kidnapped onto the boat (yes, the one from her dream; see chapter 7).  There she is almost murdered by Paul, and then Jesse comes in a beats Paul to a bloody pulp, but Susannah accidentally slashed her forearms (think wrists) up when she pulled them out of tight, thin ropes and Jesse basically stopped her from dying.  But that that asshole Paul (excuse my French) came in and exorcised Paul and stabbed Suze, and then he kissed her.  Jesse had this whole dealiyo happen where instead of going to the Shadowland, he ended up in front of 'the essence of life', and she explained all this stuff (if you don't remember, I highly recommend going back…it's too long to put in here).  Suze woke up only to find herself in incredible pain and such, and then Jesse showed up and saw her as a ghost on the beach…and now on with the story!

~***The**** Undoing of the Mediator*~**

**Chapter 16: What You Wish For (yet another great song by Guster)**

~*Jesse*~

She was a ghost.  _Nombre de dios, how could I ever let this happen?  I swore I wouldn't let anything hurt her, I _swore_!  And now look what she is reduced to…it's like something out of my worst nightmare, if I ever slept, that is.  And now she will never sleep…what about her family?  My __querida…my _querida_…this is all my fault.  She seemed to be unconscious (for a new ghost hasn't quite learned that they can't feel pain or sleep…thus they do these things as somewhat out of habit…), and dreaming.  Her hands were clenched into fists and she shuddered as though she was having the worst nightmare of her life.  Like the ones she had about Paul, the ones that made me want to kill him.  I ran through the ocean surf and knelt down at her side, looking into her pale face…_

~*Suze*~

I took one look at what I was and passed out.  Then I had the strangest dream…I was running through the Shadowland, running through the hallway looking at each door, and they were all calling to me, pulling me into their depths.  The fog swirled menacingly around my ankles in tendrils, almost as if they were trying to grab me.  The only think I could do to keep from going into one was to run, and to run as fast as I could.  I didn't know what was behind those doors, but I did know that once you opened one, there was no coming back.  And I wanted to go back.  I wanted to see Jesse again.  Suddenly, I tripped over something and fell flat on my face…only to wake up with a start.  

I was still lying on the sandy beach, and I seemed to be holding something in my hand, only I couldn't move to see what it was.  It was a blurry figure nagged at the corner of my eyesight, but I couldn't quite make out who it was, but it really doesn't matter anyways.  I mean, after all, I'm a ghost now and none of my family, friends or anyone I love or care about will be able to see me.  Except for Father D, I guess.  But what's the point?  He'll just try to mediate me and I'll go off to the most hated place in the world, the Shadowland.  But at least I'll be with Jesse there.  Maybe.  Unless the Spawn of Satan sent him to hell or something, but Jesse could never go to hell, could he?  He's too good for that, right?

I guess I should probably embrace my fate.  Once you're dead, you're dead.  There's just no way of going back.  I might as well accept the fact that I'm dead and move on toward purgatory or the astral plane or whatever.  Hey, at least I know where I'm going, and maybe I'll see Jesse.  

The figure moved, and I strained my eyes in vain.  I tried to tilt my head to get a better look at who it was, but I still couldn't.  I was about immobile as ever, and my head was throbbing like mad.  I mean, it's not bad enough that I'm, um, dead now or anything, that I always seem to get stalked or have to save someone from being stalked by psychopathic killers, and I just happen to see ghosts, but I can't even move to see who is standing over my very, very, dead figure.  I thought ghosts couldn't feel pain, but apparently I was wrong.  Because if felt as if someone took two sledgehammers and was hammering my head over and over and over.  Not a nice feeling, let me tell you.

"Susannah," said a soft voice beside me.  Not just any voice, but the most wonderful voice in the world.  Jesse's voice.  My heart nearly stopped, and with every fiber of my being I hoped it was real.  But, seriously, how could it be?  Jesse was exorcised; I saw it with my own eyes.  You don't just come back from being exorcised like it's no big deal.  I nearly killed myself last time when trying to get Jesse back from purgatory when his hoop-skirt wearing ice-bitch of a girlfriend exorcised him.  

But suddenly I felt his hand on my cheek, like I did the day I was in the hospital from the fight I got into with the Angels, and I knew he had to be real.  I nearly melted on the spot.  My eyes cleared a bit, and I saw him looking at me with an expression on his face I had never seen before.  I couldn't quite read it, but then, when had I ever been able to tell what Jesse was feeling?  He put his arms around my shoulders and pulled me gently into a sitting position, and he sat down behind me so that I was leaning on his chest.  His nice muscular chest, may I add.  Which, despite the seriousness of the situation, I must admit was something I had always dreamed of doing.  

"Jesse," I whispered almost incoherently. 

"Susannah…_Querida_, you scared me," he said to me, but his voice seemed strained and funny.  A long silence ensued after that. And his hands holding me shook gently and he tightened his grip around me.

Questions spun around in my head.  "Why…I mean, how…how did you get back?  I saw you go Jesse, I saw the exorcism!" I asked demandingly.  

"I'm not really sure, _querida_.  I don't think I'll ever know," he said thoughtfully.  "But that's not important."  He gestured with one hand toward my right hand, and I followed his gaze.  It was only then that I saw what my hand was grasping.  It was the medallion, with a glow fading from its metallic surface.  And my hand grasping it was real, completely real.  I stared in disbelief.

Was I alive?  Still staring at my hands, my eyes wandered down to my legs and feet, all of which were missing a certain spectral glow.  My eyes shot back to the medallion as I thought of Jesse, and I managed to find my voice.  "But Jesse, this was yours.  I can't believe I used it; it's gone now, isn't it?" I said sadly.  Sure, I was happy to be alive again, more than I could ever express, but I just took away Jesse's only chance, and he'd been dead a lot longer than me.

"Querida, a life without you would be no life at all.  Don't you know that?" he said seriously, tilting my head up to his.  I looked into his face and his eyes, and did something I had hoped to do since I first saw Jesse.  I lightly lifted my hand and ran my finger across the scar on his eyebrow.  He just kept looking at me with those wonderful dark eyes.  That was all I needed.

"I love you, Jesse," I said, moving a piece of hair out of his face and tucking it behind an ear.  

"I know" he replied seriously, his eyes glazing over in remembrance of something.  "You shouldn't."

I _shouldn't_??I stared at him in anger and disbelief.  "What?  Jesse, after all we've be…" I started to protest.

But I never got to finish what I said.  Because then Jesse kissed me, and he kissed me like I've never been kissed before.  And in that moment, that perfect moment with Jesse holding me, I knew that everything would be alright.  

~**End of Part One**~

(and I'm sorry about the shortness, but it started out at 751 words, and I think that 1244 is much better, don't you?)

_And to all my reviewers, I am shocked and awed by your absolute **GREATNESS!!!!**_  I deserve to be banished to the shadowland or something, because you guys are so good to me, and I'm such a bad person!  Alright…deep breath…

**ShadowKat**: Yeah, you know it!  If you don't update them once summer's (haha, no pun intended) here, be scared……be very scared.  Dude, our story's amazing!  How's the thing with your computer going?  Is it fixed?

**Ciara**** Winter: Wow….Thanks so much!**

**Susana**: Thanks!  It's here!

**StrawberryMary**:  Yes, Jesse's still a ghost.  I killed Suze because no one ever does, and it was an integral part of the plot!

**Jackie723**: Antiparticles?  Like as in the anti-christ (**cough, PAUL, cough**)?  Craziness!  Thanks for your review!

**Ndblue123**: I really need to work on stopping in good places, eh?  Thanks!

**Xiaoxiao**:  No, Jesse is still the ghost he's always been…I was actually going to make him come back, but then for some reason the chapter came out this way…it was supposed to be WAY different =o).  I would cry is Jesse was alive and Suze was dead!

**DeLiRiOuS**** uNiCoRn:  First of all, can I just say how much I adore you? Your long reviews are, like, my god!  I was wondering where I got that idea……thanks for telling me!  I read those books in fifth grade, and this chapter totally starting forming itself, and I knew I had heard that somewhere….!!  Yes, the medallions only work once, but I'll get into details later =o)  You're taking over the world in 7.5 years?  Wow, I better get on your good side now!!  YOURE AMAZING, I WORSHIP YOU!!!  Eh, Ehm….anyways, Orlando in a pink speedo…..just vivid and disturbing imagery there, except for the fact that its Orlando…thanks sooooooo much!!!!**

**RooneyRox**:  No, they're both very much dead.  The roles were actually supposed to be reversed, but it didn't end up that way =o)  Thanks so much!  Oh, by the way, Rooney DOES rock!

**Mediator fan**:  Thanks so much!!  Keep you guessin', eh? Hehehehe…..

**Hannirose**: Coils up at the outlash from Hannirose…I didn't mean to kill her, I swear!!  She just went off and died on her own accords (well, Paul's, really)!!  But, however, I do have a prophecy for you:  Your questions will soon be answered!

**Genies9**:  More smooching, eh?  I'll have to fit that one in! ;o)

**Ever**: tears?  I don't want to make you cry!!!  Ohh!  Sadness!!  Suze should stab Paul, yes…and I explained what Jesse believes at the top!! Thanks!

**Morgaine**** of Ithil: yes, very angsty.  I get myself depressed writing stuff like that.  But it will be happier!!  Please update chapter two!**

**Aestas:  Wow!  Thanks so much!  **

**cArEbEaR:  Yes, Jesse could speak Spanish to me ANYDAY! (or Englsih for that matter…or any language….=o)**

**Horsegrl8311**:  I am!  Thanks!

**Kuroi Karasu:  **I like that word, too!  Sswosshsh!

**Spiceygurl****: no virtual lollipop?  Dammit!  You're a great writer!  Don't ever think you aren't!  Thanks for reviewing!**

**Em****:  I am, no worries!**

**Nothin**** to you:  fluff is my guilty pleasure.  I only came to terms with it last year.  There needs to be a support group for this sort of thing!!  Thanks so much!**

**Dzije**:  hehehehe…that's what sequels are for!  And epilougues…I haven't decided if I am doing an epilogue to this or not, yet…

**Risika**:  Reviews like that always make an author feel good.  Thanks soo much!  You brightened my day! =o)

**Lizzie**:  I hate Paul because he tries to walk all over Suze.   And he's a bastard.  Besides, Jesse is amazing…I really need to find a guy like Jesse.  Thanks for reviewing, though!

**Imasecret13**: Thanks!  Fragments are cool!  Yes, I'll write more, probably in the form of a sequel or trilogy.

**Jazy716:**  wow…that's one heck of a compliment!  The mediator series ROCKS!  I'm completely obsessed.

**Jennifer**:  I love you.  You have an amazing talent for making people feel good.  That 'site experiencing overload' thing ALWAYS happens to me, and I freak out!  As they say, the worst way to miss someone is when you're sitting right beside them and you know that you can't have them.  Thanks so much!

**Bookgirl**:  Thanks so much for reviewing!

**Starfall4790**:  (in evil voice) hehehe…I hate when people write cliffies, but I LOVE writing them to the point of addiction.

***pants*  Whew!  I deserve that for not updating…go on, give me a virtual smackdown…I should get it, seeing how bad of a person I am.  I LOVE YOU ALL TO DEATH!!!   I can't even express in words or anything for that matter how much you guys brighten up my day.  Seriously.**

**_I NEED YOUR OPINION ON THIS!!  Should I continue with a 'part two' to this, or make a sequel?  I'm thinking 'part two', I'm not a huge sequel fan and such.  _**

_DOES ANYONE HAVE PLOT IDEAS FOR MY PART TWO???  I could use some suggestions!  If you do, just e-mail me or tell me in a review, if you want!_

Lalala, please review!


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